Making the Grade
by Meghannna
Summary: College AU- McSwarek Andy's first day of classes doesn't start off so great when she's late to class. And her TA doesn't make things easier with his sarcastic roughness and constant presence. When the two of them start running into each other- literally- on a regular basis, they need to figure out how to navigate their new roles.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I so do not have the time for this story, but I got it in my head last night and, well, here's the first chapter. AUs are still not my thing, but I think I have a much better handle on this one. I guess we'll see. **

**Don't worry, I'm not giving up on _We Danced_. **

**Let me know what you think. I'm kind of excited about this one!**

Andy skidded to a halt outside the cement building, checking the room number on her schedule one last time. She was late, definitely, but at least she knew she was in the right place. She jogged up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and found the classroom right away. The door was closed, but she let herself in and accidentally let go of the heavy door before she was able to ease it shut.

"You're late," her professor said from the podium in the front of the small class.

"Sorry, sir," she said, making eye contact with her roommates and friends in the front row. "Won't happen again."

She slid Traci's bag off of the chair between her and Gail and took a seat. "You just called our TA 'sir,'" Gail told her with a wry smile and Andy rolled her eyes at herself.

"Then I guess I'm not all that sorry," she whispered back, looking ahead to see the TA watching them—clearly hearing every word they shared. She smiled sheepishly at him and he shook his head before continuing roll.

"McNally, Andrea," he called and she looked up from her notebook again and raised her hand, ignoring the snickers from her girlfriends on either side of her.

"It's Andy," she corrected him and he nodded, his eyebrows high on his forehead.

As he finished calling the names of the second half of the class, Andy watched him closely. He was obviously older, probably a grad student, and he was handsome in the mysterious way she was usually attracted to. If they hadn't gotten off on a bad note, she'd probably already be half in love with him. As it was, though, she started the semester off late and he started it off brusque. Their story would not be a love story, but one of mutual respect and steely interactions. Which was a shame because the smile on his face when the actual professor entered the room made her stomach twist—in the good way.

"Professor," he greeted, clearly using his TA position to get on the older man's good side.

"Sammy," he said, nodding toward an empty desk at the end of the first row—just two away from Andy. "Thanks for calling roll. Freshman," he said, holding onto either side of the podium. "Welcome to Criminal Justice 101, I'm Professor Boyko. You've already met your TA, Sam Swarek. He'll be here as a resource throughout the semester. Use him."

Andy dared to look around Traci to look at him one last time and at just the moment her eyes landed on him, he looked up from his lap and their eyes locked. His were challenging, but she could feel hers smiling before she looked back at her notebook and let Professor Boyko continue with his class's introduction.

* * *

Sam watched her a little longer, guessing it would be a long semester of watching her show up late and aimlessly gather her hair into a ponytail before letting it fan across her shoulders again. It had only been half an hour and she'd already done the latter three times. Why he was watching in the first place was beyond him. For starters, she was late on his first day back from his year off and he wasn't exactly in tiptop shape yet. Then, she belittled his standing as _just _a TA and now she was packing up for her next class with a smug smile on her face.

He stayed seated as the class filtered by him. "Sorry I was late," Andy said, stopping in front of his desk and he looked up, genuinely surprised. He pegged her as the type to ignore confrontation and let things lay. "Sorry I interrupted you."

"Yeah," he nodded, collecting himself. "No problem," he shrugged and her smile was wide and genuine.

"See you on Wednesday, _Sir_," the blonde one—Peck?—said, causing the two brunettes to snicker.

"_Sam_," he corrected her, standing up.

"Bye, Sam," Andy said, pushing one out of the room and dragging the other by the hand out the door.

Sam watched the three of them run into two freshman guys, one squirrelly and puffing on an inhaler, the second was taller and broader and smiling like he just saw his first sunrise. Sam shook his head, still unsure why he was watching any of them, but especially wondering why his eyes lingered on the McNally girl's backside a fraction to long.

"Sammy?" Boyko shook him out of his reverie and he plastered on his realest looking smile he could muster. TAing was his only job while he was wrestling through grad school and Boyko had warned him to keep his attitude in check if he wanted things to stay that way.

"Sir," he said, walking confidently over to the older man's desk.

"You did well today," Boyko told him and Sam nodded his thanks. "You remember this class as a freshman, so you know they're going to need your help and guidance."

"You got it," he promised, zipping up his gray hoodie.

"Good, then I'll see you on Wednesday."

"See you on Wednesday," Sam told him. As he walked out of the classroom, he scooped up his backpack and threw it over his shoulder. He checked his watch and remembered he didn't have a class for two hours and it wasn't really worth it to go back to his apartment and run back here. Instead, he made his way toward the dining hall for lunch.

What with it being the first week of classes and the new freshman class still getting their bearings, he had a hard time finding a spot to sit in the cafeteria, but his troubles dissipated as he heard his name being whooped across the large room. He rolled his eyes to himself, trying to keep his smile in check, but failed when he saw his two best friends from his undergrad class standing near the table where they spent most of their time between classes.

He carried his tray of questionable dining hall food to the other side of the room, but stopped short when a familiar face nearly came in contact with his shoulder. "McNally," he said, just loud enough for her to hear so she turned away from some blond senior guy trying to pick her up.

"Oh, crap," she said, immediately stopping and taking a step back. "You again," she said, smiling now.

"_You _again," he smirked and the blond looked him up and down. "I know you're new here, but there're a lot of people walking around this place. Keep an eye out."

"Right," she nodded, the smile falling from her face and he mentally kicked himself. "Sorry _again_."

"Hey, it's no skin off my back," he said, smiling at her and he watched as she reluctantly smiled back. "I just want to make sure you don't miss anything," he said, leaning her head toward hers conspiratorially and she laughed.

"I'll remember that," she said, shaking her head as she and the blond continued past him. He decided to watch her walk away this time, but instead continue toward his own friends.

"Who was that?" Oliver asked, sitting down at the seat closest to the window.

"Some girl in one of my classes," Sam shrugged, putting his tray down before accepting a hug from Jerry.

"One of the classes that you're in or that you're teaching?" He asked and Sam narrowed his eyes before sitting down.

"One that I'm _assisting_," he answered. "Why?"

"So, she's young?" Oliver asked.

"Freshman," Sam shrugged again. "I didn't exactly ask for everyone's birthday."

"Well, you should," Oliver insisted. "Or you'll end up like Barber over here and fall for an eighteen year old on her first day of college."

"Shut up," Sam laughed, looking at his friend who was effectively avoiding eye contact. "That would mean _today_."

"It's not like I'm in love with the girl, Sammy, jeez," Jerry promised, rubbing the back of his neck. "And we met at the Penny last night."

"Oh, right," Oliver laughed. "_Before _she even started college."

"Shut up," Jerry said, standing up. "I have to get to class. Welcome back, Sammy."

"Thanks, Brother," he said, watching Jerry leave.

"How was the year off?" Oliver asked, folding his arms on top of the table as Sam start to eat. "No one heard from you."

"It was just work," Sam shrugged. "The only way I could get back here at all was to take that terrible apprenticeship."

"No, I get it, man," Oliver promised. "We just missed you is all."

"Well, here I am," Sam smiled. "How're you doing? How's Zoe?"

"Eh," Oliver shrugged. "Same as always."

Oliver and Zoe's "same as always" was enough to make Sam worry that they wouldn't make it—no matter how badly Oliver wanted it to work. Zoe just never let up on him and Oliver was too in love to see her the way that Sam did. But Sam cared too much about his buddy to bring him and his relationship down. They'd been together since high school, much longer than he and Sam had been friends, so Sam kept his mouth shut and his opinions to himself.

"Listen," Oliver said now, shaking both himself and Sam out of their individual trains of thought. "I'm TAing a class in ten minutes. Will we see you at the Penny tonight?"

"Oh, you bet," Sam promised and Oliver stood up, patting Sam's shoulder good naturedly. "Later, Brother."

"See you tonight, Sammy."

Now, left to himself, Sam ate slowly and took his time letting his eyes wander around the overflowing dining hall. When he found himself examining each female brunette with a certain intensity, he almost got up and left—knowing exactly who he was looking for. But, then, well, then he found her. He sat up straighter to get a better look.

She was laughing, flanked by the two other girls in his CJ 101 class and the same two guys they met after it ended. The blond was gone and Sam couldn't help but feel like he won some kind of battle. When she laughed again, doubling over, her eyes locked with his on her way up and she stopped short.

* * *

Andy was surrounded by the only four people she felt comfortable with—her two roommates that she met and bonded with over orientation and the boys that lived next door to them. But now her eyes were watching the mysterious TA who went from rough to flirty in a matter of an hour and she found herself smiling at him. Again.

And Sam didn't look away. He kept his eyes on her, like it's where they belonged, and she could feel her cheeks start to warm. When she felt a presence behind her, she had a hard time wrenching her eyes from her TA, but then a hand landed on her shoulder and she knew someone was trying to get her attention. Luke, she realized when she finally turned toward him.

"Hi… Again," she said, smiling shyly at him. She had met him in the salad line and he struck up a conversation with her. After her run-in with Sam and when she found her friends, he had begged off kindly. Now, he was back.

"Hi," he said, sticking his hands into his green coat. "Are you free tonight?"

Andy was actually _shocked _that those were the words that came out of his mouth. It was definitely not what she was expecting. Though, why else would he seek her out again? She heard the conversation among her friends stop immediately and she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in their general direction before standing up to be eye-to-eye with Luke.

"I'm not tonight," she told him truthfully. Since it was the first day of classes, the RAs in the freshman dorm were having floor meetings and a mixer. And without having to be told, she was sure that Luke was at least a junior.

"Another time?" He asked, smile as confident as before—completely unruffled.

"Yeah, maybe," she smiled and he nodded, before waving to her friends and turning toward the exit.

She watched him leave. Where he was completely unmoved by their interaction, she was still wildly confused. Maybe college guys were just more abrupt about that sort of thing, but Andy was used to a little more lead in when it came to being asked out. Not that it was a regular occurrence, but regular enough to know there was a little more back and forth before a move was made.

When she sat back down in front of her food and her friends, she could feel every single pair of their eyes on her like they weighed a hundred pounds each. "What?" She asked, pushing her tray away.

"Who was that?" Traci asked with a soft, knowing smile.

"Some guy I met in the salad line," Andy shrugged, uncomfortable with all of their attention. They were friends, sure, but still very new to each other.

"Salad line, huh?" Dov asked, looking toward it to see if he could find any unsuspecting women to ask out. "Who would have thought that's where I need to find myself a chick?" And, with that, he was gone.

Gail laughed after him and Chris shook his head, watching as roommate fell into step next to a pretty blond. "What's his name?" Traci asked now, ignoring the rest of the table.

"Luke," Andy said quietly and she heard Gail repeat the name—drawn out and mildly sexual. Andy narrowed her eyes at her and Gail shrugged innocently.

"He's cute," she said. "Go for it."

"I don't know," Andy said, shaking her head slowly and just enough to get a look at the table where she had seen Sam. He was gone now, but her eyes lingered anyway. "Yeah, I don't know," she repeated. "I've got to get back to the room. I forgot my book for my next class."

"Andy, it's syllabus day," Chris reminded her. "You probably won't need it."

"I was late to CJ 101 because English is on the _other side _of campus, I just want to be prepared for this next one," she argued. "I'll see you in the common room tonight, though. Good luck with your classes."

"Good luck," they called after her and she dropped her tray on top of a trashcan where she noticed others were doing the same thing.

She made her way across campus, toward her dorm room. When she got there, she made her way around Gail's mess and Traci's desk before she got to her own. Her bed was lofted, so she could fit her desk and dresser underneath it. Gail and Traci bunked their beds and their desks were stuck against the wall wherever they could fit. The room was meant for two, but due to a housing surge, it was forced to fit all three of them. None of them minded, but it was only the first week. Things were bound to get tight.

Andy grabbed her bio book and a granola bar and stuffed both into her plaid backpack. She took one last look around the room, making sure she wasn't forgetting anything, and headed outside toward the building where her bio class was being held.

She didn't know much about college, but she knew that she wanted to do a good job of it and being late wasn't the way to do that. So, she ended up sitting on the floor outside her class's door until people trickled past her and she stood to wait them out. Just as she was about to walk inside, she heard the door from the outside burst open as heavy footsteps ran down the hall.

"You're late," she called after him and Sam stopped at the sound of her voice and turned toward her. "Make sure it doesn't happen again."

"You're just making me later, McNally," he called back, smiling, before running around the corner.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Don't get used to this. This whole updating once a day thing. It doesn't last. But I'm just having so much fun with this story. Especially after last night's episode (which I'm going to rematch right now).**

**Let me know your thoughts! Thanks for all the reviews!**

On Wednesday, Andy tried her hardest to get from English to Criminal Justice in a timely manner. The attempt, however, proved to be futile. English was on the other side of campus, right next to her dorm. It made waking up in the morning a dream, but getting to the rest of her classes in the more central academic buildings nearly impossible. This time when she showed up, Sam had already finished taking roll and Boyko had taken over.

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath, sliding into the seat between Traci and Sam. "I'm so sorry I'm late, Professor."

"We'll discuss it after class… McNally, I'm assuming?"

"Yes, sir," she answered automatically, looking quickly to her right to see a smug smirk on Sam's face. She rolled her eyes at him and pulled a notebook out of her bag.

"Only problem is, McNally, we're working with partners today on a little role playing exercise," Boyko continued and her eyes searched his for the meaning behind his words. "And everyone is paired off. You're either with me or Swarek, over there."

Andy let out a huffed breath and turned slowly toward her TA. His face was drained of all its color and he looked about as willing as a lobster being dropped into a pot. "I'll take her, Sir," Sam said, surprising nearly the entire front half of the class—the only half paying attention at this point.

"Great," Boyko said, clapping his hands together once. "Explain the exercise to her, then. Everyone else, you may begin. You have 30 minutes."

"I tried to stall him," Traci told her and Andy smiled graciously at her. "Maybe it won't be so bad," she continued quietly, her eyes darting to Sam.

"Ha," Andy laughed sarcastically. "Thanks for trying."

"McNally?""

Andy turned reluctantly toward her partner. She hadn't seen him since their run in in the hallway before her biology class, but there he was—looking at her expectantly.

"You know, you're going to have to try harder to get here on time," he told her and she ran her hand through her hair.

"Yeah, I know that," she admitted sharply, pulling her foot onto her seat. "I'll figure it out."

"Listen, I'm not trying to give you a hard time," he said quickly, pushing his desk closer to hers. "I'm just giving you real world advice over here. I've been in your shoes before, okay? And with this very professor. He's not the easiest guy to deal with. I wouldn't be here now if I had any other options. So, all I'm saying is to be careful."

She nodded slowly, letting out a deep breath, and regretted the way she jumped down his throat. "Why are you TAing this class if you don't like the professor?" She asked, leaning her elbow onto the desk and resting her head in her palm. "I mean, that can't be easy."

"Like I said, I don't have many other options," he shrugged. "Now, do you want to talk about your first assignment in your first big girl class or would you like to move on to braiding each other's hair?"

At that, she smiled and he let out one solitary chuckle. "I mean, I'm not sure your hair is long enough to braid," she said, fingering the longest bit that fell barely onto his forehead and he laughed more heartily now. "So, I guess we should do this assignment," she finished, dropping her hand.

"Okay, then," Sam said, leaning closer to talk it over.

* * *

As the class wrapped up, Sam stayed behind to answer a couple of questions from one of his students. It was still the first week and the freshman were a little worried that Boyko's class would destroy their GPA before they even had a chance to build it up.

He tried his best to reassure the girl, but when she left she was still looking frazzled. He looked up in time to see Andy and Boyko still discussing her tardiness. He was free to go, but for some reason he was unable to move from his spot in front of his desk. To make it look like he wasn't just _staring _at them, though, he began to pack his bag—slowly and as quietly as he could muster.

Andy was facing him and every so often her eyes would drift toward him, but her attention was quickly called back to Boyko. Sam couldn't hear a word they were saying, but he could see the slump in Andy's shoulders, so he knew that if she was late again the professor wouldn't make things easy for her.

He finally saw her nod and watched as Boyko laid a stiff hand on her shoulder. As she walked toward him—or the door, more accurately—Sam threw his backpack over his shoulders and called a goodbye to the professor, _coincidentally_ in time to fall in step with Andy.

"How was that?" Sam asked as they turned the corner toward the stairwell.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Sam," she said, a hand on each of her backpack straps. When she looked up at him, all wide eyed and terrified, he deflated a little. "I mean, my class is on the exact opposite side of campus and I only have ten minutes to get here. It's _hopeless_."

"You got a car?" He asked and the look she gave him—like he was insane—almost made him laugh. "What? That's a valid question."

"I'm a _freshman_," she reminded him and he narrowed his eyes, confused. "Freshman can't have cars on campus. Plus, I just… don't have a car."

"What about your boyfriend?" He asked, steeling himself for the answer. He wasn't quite sure why the word _boyfriend _sounded like _axe murderer_ when it left his mouth.

"I don't… What are you talking about?" Andy asked as they reached the bottom of the steps. He pushed open the door for her and she walked past him, but waited for him to catch up and answer her question.

"The blond I saw you with at the dining hall on Monday?" He reminded her. He wasn't sure where she was headed now, but when his hand fell to the small of her back, he redirected her to that very spot. When she looked up at him with her doe eyes, he realized where his hand was and how he didn't even know her, so he promptly placed it into his pocket.

"That was Luke," she said quietly with a shrug. "I only just met him two minutes before. I haven't seen him since."

"Huh," Sam nodded. Knowing this girl was single made him stand a little taller and talk a little softer. For whatever reason, that news was good. "Well, I'm sorry about the commuting issue. I'd help you out, but my mornings are all on this end of campus. I don't go anywhere near the dorms unless it's an emergency."

"Bad experience?" She asked with a playful smile and he nodded.

"Let's just say that I hope your freshman year turns out better than my own," he shrugged and her face changed from playful to worry right before his eyes.

He hadn't even realized they stopped walking and were face to face until he saw the look in her eyes. They were probing him for more information, but she was too afraid to ask. "Don't worry about it, McNally, I'm _sure _your freshman year will turn out better. You seem to be better with people than I am… especially when I was your age," he noted with a laugh.

"When was that exactly?" She asked, pulling on the ends of her backpack straps and rolling from her heels to her toes, and then back again.

"Well, you're what? Eighteen?" He asked, looking her up and down as his hands slid into the pockets of his jeans.

"Yes," she nodded definitively. "But only until next week," she added with a smile.

"So, I was your age about… five years ago," Sam said, stepping onto his toes in thought. "But, uh, you're older than I was as a freshman. I didn't turn nineteen until the summer before my sophomore year. So, it's been about six years since I was in your shoes… and your dorm," he added with a smirk.

"Twenty-four, huh?" She asked, biting her lip. "Good to know."

"Why is that?"

"So, you're a second year grad student?" She asked, ignoring his inquiry.

"First, actually," he corrected. "I took a year off to work. Why is my age good to know, though?"

"I like to know what I'm dealing with," she shrugged, the smile returning to her face.

"And my age helps you how?" He asked as she turned to close the gap between them and the dining hall.

"Don't worry about it, Swarek," she called over her shoulder. "Thanks for all your help in class."

"That's what partners are for," he called after her. She threw a smile over her shoulder before the door fell shut in her wake and he sat on the half wall just outside the window, kicking his toe into the cracked pavement.

Andy McNally was turning into a fun sort of challenge for him. He liked that she was able to have a hard time and still walk away smiling. He didn't have that talent. And he liked that she was comfortable enough with him to keep up with him but not too comfortable to expect much in return. He liked that…

"Brother, you hungry?" Oliver called, running toward him. "I've got ten minutes to eat or I'm going to be late."

"Right behind you," Sam answered, following his best friend into the dining hall—still packed with unfamiliar freshman and other students he had never had the interest in getting to know. "Um, Ollie, you're getting into the salad line. Sandwiches are over there."

"Zoe," he answered simply, with a shrug, falling into line behind a group of girls. "Andy McNally, as I live and breathe."

"Hi, Oliver," she said, turning to smile and Sam caught her eye. "Of course you two are friends," she said with an easy laugh.

"And how do you two know each other?" Oliver asked, turning to Sam for the answer.

"I'm her CJ 101 TA," he explained. "And you?"

"Soc," Oliver laughed. "Small world, isn't it McNally?"

"The smallest," she smiled as her attention was called. She turned to the lunch lady quickly and then back to Sam and Oliver. "Enjoy your lunch, boys."

As Sam watched with a smile as she walked away from them, Oliver nudged his elbow into his side. "What the hell?" Sam asked, shoving him in the shoulder.

"Freshman, Sammy," was all he said before they got called to place their orders.

* * *

Andy found her friends in the same table they'd been sitting in all week. Chris and Dov were arguing over a pickle that Gail had offered while she and Traci looked on with amused smiles.

"How did it go with Boyko?" Traci asked as Andy sat down.

"I need to get there on time on Friday and every class after or my grade is going to _suffer greatly_," she said, shaking her head. "And when I talked to Sam about it, he was no help."

"Sam?" Chris asked, looking up from the pickle just long enough for Dov to snatch it up and take a bite. "Aw man!"

"Yeah, Sam Swarek," Andy nodded as she aimlessly pushed her salad around its container. "Our TA."

"Oh, yeah," Dov nodded. "He's TAing our CJ 101 class, too. Are you taking it with Boyko?"

"Yeah," Andy told him. "Why aren't you in our class?"

"Tuesdays and Thursdays," Chris shrugged. "Swarek's pretty cool. At least, he seems it. He doesn't say much."

"He's nice," Andy insisted.

"I like Oliver," Dov decided, finishing off his prized pickle. "Sociology is going to be much easier with him."

"At least he seems like he gives a damn about us," Gail agreed. "Swarek only has eyes for one person in our class," she said, pointedly staring at Andy.

"Ha. Ha," Andy said, stuffing her mouth.

"She laughs, but you should have seen them partnered up today," Gail continued. "It was _adorable_."

"I was late, he was my only option," Andy argued.

Gail rolled her eyes and Andy thought back to the fifty minutes she spent in class with Sam. And, then, the walk over to the dining hall together. She wasn't going to lie, she liked talking to him. He had experience in college that she wanted to use to her own advantage. He seemed to care about whether or not she was going to be able to succeed. She wasn't sure why after she was late to his class just two days before, he had no problem talking to her like an actual person instead of a troubled freshman. Gail was right about that—he was showing her a side of him that she hadn't seen him share with the other students in their class.

She nearly shook her head at herself—it had only been two classes. And she was the one that was late each one, so he _had _to show her that attention. He was older, way older, and there was no way he had any interest in her. Even if she was starting to reevaluate hers in him.

* * *

"I figured it out!"

Sam turned from the bar at the Penny to see a red faced Andy looking up at him triumphantly.

"What's that, McNally?" He asked, leaning back against the bar and crossing his arms. As she was handed a beer from the bartender, he flicked his eyes to Jerry to show his amusement. Jerry just shook his head until Sam watched his eyes widen and he followed his line of sight to… Traci Nash.

As Jerry walked away from him, Andy finished her huge sip of beer and practically slammed the glass on the bar. "I'm going to be on time on Friday," she told him. "Was that the grad student Traci made out with on Sunday?" She asked, rather distractedly and Sam laughed at the sudden change of topic.

"Yeah, that's my buddy, Jerry," he explained, nodding to their friends hovered over a table in the dark corner.

"And the world just keeps getting smaller, huh?" She laughed and Sam couldn't help but join her. From where they were standing, they could also clearly see Oliver with the rest of her freshman friends, gearing up for a game of pool.

"So," he said now, and her eyes slowly found their way to his. She was clearly on the drunker side of tipsy and he kind of liked how she was looking at him—like he was the answer to all her problems.

"You'll see," she promised, shrugging one of her shoulders.

"Why can't you just tell me? That's why you came over here, isn't it?" He asked, turning so his side was against the bar and her shoulder was nestled between his chest and his arm.

"Who said that's why I came over?" She asked, turning to face him. "Maybe I was sent over here to get your friend to notice Traci."

Sam felt his face fall at the realization that that was probably true.

"Or maybe I just wanted any excuse to come over and talk to you?" She said more quietly. When he looked at her again, she was looking down at her shoes, suddenly shy. He took a long sip of his beer, finishing it, and then tapped her toe with his own. "Who knows?" She continued, smiling wide now. "I'm going home. See you on Friday."

"Let me give you a ride, Andy," he insisted and she shook her head as she finished off her beer. "McNally."

"The dorms are right across the street," she reminded him. "Thanks for the offer, though. You're a good partner."

"It was a one time thing," he told her with a soft smile and she laughed out loud—right in his face.

"Was it, Sam Swarek?" She asked, zipping up her sweatshirt. She pulled her hood over her hair and smiled up at him. "Was it?"


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I don't know how I feel about this one. It came out so easily, though, that I didn't even question it. It's all I envisioned, so I shouldn't be complaining, but... yeah. Let me know your thoughts. I love knowing your thoughts!**

From behind the podium at the front of Boyko's CJ 101 class on Friday morning, Sam could hear the whispered conversations going on around the room. He could smell the coffees from the front row and cologne from the one kid in the back—he was young, a little too liberal with the stuff. It was taking all of his power to keep his eyes trained on the book in front of him. It was for one of his own classes that he was taking. He'd been spending a little too much time at the Penny and worrying too much about impressing Boyko that he'd forgotten all about the five chapters he needed to cram in before 3 that afternoon.

When he heard cheers coming from the front row, though, he looked up to see Nash and Peck standing to clap. Before he even turned toward the door, he smiled and stood a little straighter. Andy was leaning against her knees, breathing deeply, and dressed in tight running pants and a black tank top that was sticking to her torso. She pushed herself up and hoisted her arms above her head triumphantly—looking directly at Sam.

"Welcome to class," he said and she smiled widely turning toward her friends. Gail tossed her an ice cold water bottle that she caught and cracked open immediately. "Where're your books?"

Andy kept the bottle to her lips, but he was sure she was smiling as she nodded to Traci who was holding up Andy's blue and black plaid backpack. "So, you just… ran here? That was your plan?" He asked, slightly disappointed at the lack of excitement in the plan she had been so proud of two days before.

"For your information, yes," she said, walking toward him. She placed her bottle on the podium, effectively holding herself upright, as her other hand rested on her hip. "I ran, but thanks to Oliver, instead of running _around_ the Langham Building, I ran _through_ it. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. It's genius."

"You're dripping sweat on my book," he told her flatly, though he was smiling at her. She rolled her eyes at him and pushed herself off of the podium just as Boyko joined them.

"McNally, take your seat so Sam can take roll, please," he said without even looking at her. The look of pride on her face fell and Sam smiled tightly but genuinely at her again until she was able to do the same in return.

He waited until she was sitting next to Traci, next to the only other empty seat in the class—his—before he started calling roll. When he got to Andy's name, her friends clapped again until Boyko told the whole class to settle down and Sam finished the rest of the class without incident. When he sat next to Andy, Boyko remained seated at his desk in front of the window, so he leaned closer.

"Are you going to be able to keep this up all semester?" He asked, nodding toward her outfit and she shrugged.

"I think there's a shuttle in the winter," she admitted quietly. "I'll look into it, but can you just be happy that I got here today?"

"Hey, I'm ecstatic, McNally," he said and she rolled her eyes at him, causing him to laugh. "I'm just a little worried is all."

"Yeah, me too," she smiled. "I haven't run like that since last semester. I'm more out of shape than I thought I was."

"Could have fooled me," he promised, sitting back in his seat as Boyko took his place.

* * *

Andy left Boyko's class stuffed between Traci and Gail. She tossed Sam a smile before leaving and he nodded in her direction as he finished up helping an overly cologned student on his homework. Traci was going on and on about her most recent hookup with Sam's friend, Jerry, and Andy could see a spark in her eye that she could only guess was the beginnings of falling in love.

Andy'd never been in love. She dated throughout high school, sure, and they were always jocks. Funnily enough, she was more attracted to the quiet, strong types, not the loud and proud type. But she was a jock and jocks dated other jocks. That was high school, wasn't it? The strong, quiet types were the ones she would befriend in classes and they were the ones that fixed her dad's car when she got into a minor accident. They were the ones she watched closely as they poured over a good book in the cafeteria while she was surrounded by kids tossing food at each other's faces. She loved her friends from high school, she missed them every single day, but she liked being able to start over in college. And she liked that she could date whoever she wanted because she had no history here, no reputation. She was just one of the freshmen, just like Traci. But Traci was the one falling in love with a grad student, not Andy. Andy was just along for the ride, which she was happy for.

As they entered the courtyard, Andy was blinded by the hot sun. She wasn't complaining, though, because it would only be around for a little while longer. She stopped when they hit the grass and her friends turned to look at her with raised eyebrows.

"It's bad enough I went to English and Criminal Justice dressed like this," she explained. "I'm going to head back to the room and get cleaned up. I'll grab a granola bar before Bio."

"Andy, you have to eat lunch," Traci argued and Andy smiled at her to ease her worries. "I'll stuff a change of clothes in your backpack from now on, okay?"

"I'll remember to do that," she smiled. "Thank you for lugging it over here."

"It was nothing," Traci promised. "Just remember to look closely when you register for classes next semester."

"I don't know," Andy laughed, starting to walk backwards. "This whole running thing might be good for me."

"Probably not in the snow and ice, though," Gail reminded her and she shrugged. "I'll make sure Dov brings you something to eat while you guys are in Bio."

"You don't have to," Andy promised, still walking backward.

"I will, though," Gail said before she dragged Traci toward the dining hall. Andy smiled, happy she was actually making friends.

When she turned in the opposite direction, she ran directly into a muscular chest. "Um, hi," Sam said, gripping her shoulders to steady her. "You okay, McNally?"

"Ugh, sorry," she said, pulling on her backpack straps.

"You didn't listen to me," he said, hands still on her shoulders, and she cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Keep an eye out; you don't want to miss anything," he reminded her of what he told her in the dining hall on her first day of classes. It was hard to believe that it was only a few days ago because the hands on her shoulders felt familiar and the smile in front of her reminded her of something she had missed but couldn't quite place.

"Right," she smiled, letting her arms fall to her side. After they looked at each other in silence for a bit, she saw the recognition flash across his face right before his hands left her skin and slid into his pockets. She tried—and failed—to keep her face from falling. "Thanks for the help," she muttered, shifting from one foot to the other. "You know, for the…"

"Help?" He asked when she wrestled for the right word. The smirk on his face was teasing and she ran a hand over her embarrassed face.

"Yeah, the help on that assignment," she finished weakly. "Thank you."

"You said that," he reminded her and she rolled her eyes at herself. "Do you want to walk over?" He asked, nodding toward the dining hall and she shook her head.

"I've got to run back to my room," she shrugged. "But, um, have a good weekend."

"Yeah," he nodded, scratching the back of his neck. "You too. And remember that you don't need to squeeze everything in on your first weekend of college, okay? Be… Just be careful."

"I'll remember that sage advice," she promised, bouncing onto her toes. "And I will make sure not miss anything."

"Find that middle ground, McNally. You've got your whole life to make stupid mistakes. Don't make them all in one weekend."

"Are speaking from experience, by any chance?" She asked, stepping toward him and he laughed, shrugging.

"Just make good choices. Stick with your friends," he said, serious now and Andy nodded. She was honestly a little surprised at the intensity behind his words. He wasn't just warning her, she could hear the worry in his voice. "But have fun."

"Truth is, I'm probably going to end up at a bar or hold up in my dorm room," she shrugged. "Nothing too crazy. I'm not really that type of girl."

"Well," he shrugged. "Good. Later, McNally."

"Later, Swarek," she said as he walked past her to join his friends in the dining hall.

She watched after him for at least a full minute, until he was too far to see the tattoo peeking out from his t-shirt sleeve.

* * *

Sam dragged his feet from his last class as he made his way to his truck. Leaning his head back against his seat, he tossed his backpack onto the passenger seat before gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. His classes on top of the two he was TAing were making his head pound every night. It was only the first week of the semester and he was already overwhelmed.

Eventually, he loosened his grip on the steering wheel and pulled himself to sit up enough to start the truck. His apartment wasn't far at all, but the ride felt like it went on for days. He just wanted to get inside, crack open a beer, and lay down in front of the television. And that was exactly the plan until he got inside the somewhat rundown building and found his best friends banging on his door.

"No," was all he said, causing Jerry and Oliver to turn toward him—eyes bright and smiles trying too hard to convince him. "Not happening."

"Brother," Jerry breathed, coming toward him. "The first week is over. That's cause for celebration. The Penny is calling us."

"No, the Penny is calling _you_," he said, moving around him and then Oliver so he could unlock his door. "My couch is calling me. And, let me tell you something, I'm going to answer that call."

"Sammy," Oliver said, following him inside. "We went a whole year, just the two of us. You're back now, so you're coming. It's Friday night."

"Where's your girlfriend, Oliver?" Sam asked, leaning against his wall. "I'm sure she's looking for you."

"No, she's not," he shook his head. "She's not. She's out with some work friends. She couldn't care less where I am. I care where you are, though, and I don't think the couch cares as much about you as you think it does. Jerry and me, though, we care. We care enough to drag your sad ass to the Penny."

"Sammy!" Jerry yelled, dropping his fist onto the kitchen counter. "You're coming. Let's go."

Oliver looked up at him with a hopeful smile while Jerry glared at him, waiting more for a movement than an answer. So, Sam let out a breath and shrugged. "Fine," he said, zipping up his sweatshirt. "But I'm not driving."

"Cab it is," Oliver announced. "Because that's how we got here and we assumed you'd drive. No worries. We're off."

Sam rolled his eyes, but followed them back to the hallway and then out to the sidewalk. Jerry was able to flag down a cab within seconds and the three of the squished into the backseat as Jerry told the driver the name of the bar. Sam rested his head against the cool glass of the window, already missing the comfort of his couch and the free beer in his fridge.

They climbed out—very ungracefully—outside of the Penny and Sam groaned at the line of people outside. They weren't waiting to get inside—the Penny wasn't that kind of place—but just the sight of that many people meant that the inside would be full of people he didn't know and didn't care to. He watched as Jerry and Oliver nodded to a number of the people he was complaining about and followed them inside.

It actually wasn't all that busy inside. The people outside were probably the bulk of the patrons and they were mostly ruining their lungs with cigarettes. Whatever it was, he didn't mind the clear path to the bar or the fact that his favorite beer was on tap after they were out the night before. He ordered three for him and his friends and slid the two down the bar. Oliver threw down his card, telling Liam to keep his tab open, and put his free hand on Sam's shoulder to direct him toward an empty table.

As Sam followed his lead, he heard a loud laugh and then felt a sturdy back hit his elbow. "Come on, really?" He sighed, turning to see who it was that spilled his beer down the front of his shirt.

The laugh came from Chris Diaz, one of the freshmen in Boyko's Tuesday/Thursday class, but the back that hit him belonged to the one and only Andy McNally. Her eyes were shooting daggers at her friends, but they slowly swept the room until they met his.

"One of these days, I'm not going to physically run into you," she promised him and despite the dripping from his shirt, he smiled. "Seriously, one of these days, I'm going to have a reason to stop apologizing to you."

"I can't help but notice that you haven't apologized yet," he said and her jaw dropped in mock shock.

"That was implied, _Sir_," she spat before breaking out in a fit of giggles. His eyebrows shot up as he watched her regain her composure. He could tell she was sober, but her friends were all still laughing a few feet away. It looked like she was doing as he told her—having fun and sticking with her friends.

"Don't worry about it, okay?"

She stopped laughing, but smiled up at him, narrowing her eyes. He felt a little uncomfortable under her scrutiny and when he looked over at his friends, Jerry was on his way toward Traci while Oliver was looking from Sam to Andy and then back again.

"You're nice," she said finally and Oliver laughed, earning him a dirty look from Sam until he put his hands up in defense and sat down.

"Thank you?" Sam said to Andy and she shrugged her shoulder and bit her lip.

"To me, at least," she finished and it was his turn to shrug.

She wasn't wrong. For whatever reason, the two of them had hit it off and he had been especially kind to her. Not that he was unkind to anyone else, but there was a special attention he was paying toward her. It was only obvious to him now, but it had clearly been weighing on her mind.

"Why is that?" She asked, taking a sip of her drink. "Why me?"

"I don't really know what you mean, Andy," he lied, taking his own drink. He wasn't about to tell her that she challenged him and he liked that about her. He wasn't going to say that she was quick on her feet and that he respected that. He wasn't going to admit that he liked having her around even if it was just in class or walking to the dining hall. He couldn't say any of those things. Hell, he'd only known her for five days. And she was a _freshman_.

"Okay," she said, deflating now. She looked behind her, right at her friends, and they were all talking to each other. They were oblivious to what was transpiring between the two of them right now. "Want to know secret?" She asked, looking at the space on the floor that remained between them.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," he whispered. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to know what she was going to say or why he was whispering in a loud bar, but when she looked at him again he remembered how, despite their first class together, he wanted to know more about her the second she opened her mouth. "Yes," he said loudly, more confidently.

"One of these days," she said again with a smile. "I'm going tell you why _I'm_ nice to you and why I'm glad you're nice to _me_."

Sam could feel his eyes widen involuntarily and could see the surprise on her own face. Maybe she was drunk and his first impression was just plain wrong. "But not tonight," she shrugged her shoulder.

He knew what that very shoulder felt like and he remembered the look on her face earlier in the day when he realized he had been holding onto it for so long. It didn't look like she minded until he took his hands off of her.

"One of these days," he said, stealing the turn of phrase she'd used. "I'm going to want to hear that." The smile that graced her lips was real and he could see a light in her eyes that he hadn't seen before."But, you're right."

"Not tonight," she finished, still smiling, and he nodded. "I'm glad I bumped into you. Literally."

"I could've gone without the wet shirt, but… the rest wasn't so terrible," he agreed.

"I'm going to go now," she said, hitching a thumb over her shoulder. "Looks like I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see you around."

She flashed one last smile his way and he watched her until she was sitting with her back toward him.

"Dude," Oliver said from behind him. "You're so screwed."

* * *

As soon as Andy sat down, she felt the last few minutes talking with Sam rush through her. What the hell had she been thinking? Did someone slip something into her Diet Coke? She dared to look back at Sam's table, but his back was to her and pounded her palm against her forehead a few times until Dov had to pull it away.

"What's up?" He asked. Thankfully everyone else was occupied because she really didn't want to deal with their prying eyes at the moment. Dealing with Dov was bad enough.

"I may have just ruined my entire college career before it started," she told him quietly and his eyebrows shot up. "I think I had a stroke. I just soberly almost admitted something that I can't admit to someone I shouldn't even be associating with on a social level," she babbled.

"What the hell are you talking about, Andy?"

Her shell-shocked eyes searched his confused ones and she rubbed both palms over her face furiously. "I have a crush on someone," she told him quietly.

"I kind of figured," he shrugged. "I don't know women all that well, but I know enough to realize what you're dealing with. So, what happened? You… Almost told him?"

"I almost did," she nodded. "I mean, I basically told him everything. I wasn't very subtle."

"Why is it such a big deal?"

Andy thought about it and couldn't quite pinpoint why telling Sam would be such a terrible thing. Now that she couldn't deny her feelings for him to herself, why would it be bad to admit them to him? She wasn't so sure that he felt the same way, but he definitely didn't seem disgusted by the fact. Plus, he was the one who kept his hands on her shoulders that day and the one who so casually guided her to the dining hall with his hand on the small of her back. He was always there and, yeah, she was the one who was running into him, he was the one that made the conversation. He seemed to like having her around just as much as she liked being around him.

He was an adult, though. Like, a real adult with real responsibilities. Why would he ever think of a freshman the way that Andy was thinking about him? He was an adult and he was gorgeous. Andy probably was just a blip on his radar, a pretty face to look at while he waited for an even prettier, adult face.

"He'll never feel the same about me," she told Dov and he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side for a quick hug.

"Want me to get you a drink?" He asked. "Something a little stronger than that Diet Coke?"

"Something with a little rum in it, maybe," she said and he smiled, hopping from his seat. She turned toward the bar to see if there was a line that would hold him up. There wasn't, but there was a redhead and he had already started walking toward her. Andy's drink had already been forgotten, but at least Dov had a chance with that girl.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Here we are, the next chapter. A chapter I happen to be proud of. I'm not going to lie guys, I love writing these fools as if they were in college. College was the best four years of my life and I'd do it all over if I could. This is my way to do that.**

**So, I hope you're enjoying this story as much as I am enjoying writing it. **

The hallway was quiet as Andy walked down it. She kept checking her phone even though she knew what time it was. And that no one had tried to text or call her in the last twenty seconds. The bank of offices at the end of the hall, directly in front of where she was standing, was just as quiet as the hall. Except, she knew, they were filled with TAs from all different classes. She knew that because she had studied her CJ 101 syllabus to death before getting up the nerve to go and talk to Sam.

After she nearly spilled her guts to him on Friday, she woke up on Saturday with just an inkling of a headache. She didn't know it at the time, but her father was waking up in a condition about 100 times worse than her own. So, when the hospital called her to pick him up on Sunday after another night of drinking and a pump of his stomach, she emailed her professors and told them she'd be missing classes on Monday. It was a family emergency, after all.

Her roommates told her that she didn't miss much, just the first paper assignment. And when Boyko emailed her back, he was explicit in telling her to talk and take advantage of her TA. So, she stood outside the office he was sitting in and she dreaded the moment of having to face him. She was embarrassed about what happened on Friday and she would have been had she seen him in class on Monday, but, at least there, she would have had the safety of the rest of the class. From where she stood, she could see the office completely empty save for Sam—who stood as soon as he saw her.

"Hey," he said, resting his palms on the small desk. "Come on in."

She took a deep breath, plastered on as real a smile as she could work up, and stepped over the threshold. "Nice office," she remarked, looking at the bare walls and the aging carpet—anything to avoid the eyes she fell asleep thinking about the night before.

"Yeah," he said, sitting down. "I think, like, ten other TAs use it throughout the week. I'm just here an hour, two days a week."

"Cool," she nodded to herself.

"Family emergency, huh?" Sam asked quietly and she finally let her eyes meet his. "Everything okay? You want to talk about it?"

"Nope," she shook her head sharply, sitting down across from him. "I just came for the paper assignment."

"Right," he said, reaching for his backpack. Andy wasn't sure if she heard a touch of disappointment in his voice, but she'd pretend it to be true until she was sure. He looked across the desk at her, sliding the paper slowly. "It's three to five pages on criminal profiling," he said, letting his hand linger on the assignment. "Focus on chapters 1 through 3 in your book."

"Thanks," she said, reaching for the other side of the paper so she could put it in her bag. Sam had another idea, though, because he was still holding onto his end. "What are you doing?" She asked, flattening her palm to cover the majority of the paper.

"I'm trying to be nice to you," he said with a smirk and she bit the inside of her cheek, trying to keep her girly smile from erupting.

* * *

Sam was trying to be nice and he was trying to make sure that Andy knew full well that she could talk to him about what was going on in her life. Because, damn it, Oliver was right—he was screwed. This eighteen year old girl sitting in front of him was making him remember what it was like to want to be there for someone. She was keeping him up at night, especially the night before when he had no idea why she hadn't been in class. And she was always _there_. Even when she wasn't actually there, Sam wanted her to be enough that he could imagine her right there with him. This freshman with her eyes that spoke louder than her words, her hair that looked about a thousand different shades depending on the light she was under, and her smile that always made him proud when he was the one to make her do it—she was leaving an impression on his overwhelming life. And he didn't mind it one bit.

"I was hoping you wouldn't remember that," she said, taking her hand away to twist a piece of hair behind her ear. "Like, you were drunk or something."

"How could I have been drunk when you spilled most of my first beer down the front of my shirt?" He asked her, pretending that her response didn't feel like a rejection.

"Okay," she laughed, rolling her eyes. "That wasn't my fault. We were joking about something and Chris shoved me. Blame him."

"Nah," he said, shaking his head. "I'm going to blame you, because that way you'll owe me a beer."

He was being more upfront with her than he intended to be after their run in at the Penny. But he was so relieved to see her outside of his office that he didn't care if he was coming off like some lovesick puppy. Not that he was lovesick; he merely had a crush on the girl. And admitting that, in those words, is what got him the bruise on his arm after Oliver punched him for using the word "crush" as a man in his mid-twenties.

"Okay," she shrugged, sitting up straighter and he smiled in surprise. "But only if you let go of this paper. I still have to go to my bio professor's office and my English TA's. Plus I have class with Oliver in, like, 45 minutes."

"Fine," he said, lifting his hands slowly from the desk and she smiled before taking it quickly and folding it into her bag. "Let me know if you need any help with that. It's what I'm here for," he reminded her and she nodded, standing up slowly.

"Really?" She asked, hitching her bag onto her shoulders. She rested her palms on her side of the desk and leaned down. "I thought you were here to get innocent freshman girls to buy you beer."

Sam laughed, but stood to match her stance—his face a mere few inches from hers. "Not _any _freshman girl," he corrected her. "You."

"Okay, Sam," Andy laughed. She stood up and wiped her palms over the front of her jeans and he stood up and crossed his arms. "Thank you for, you know… being nice to me."

"Oh, it's my pleasure, McNally," he promised and she nodded once and turned to leave. When she reached the door, she turned back and smiled one last time and he waited until he heard her talking to another TA a few offices down the hall before sitting down.

Sam felt like he was eighteen years old again. Maybe it was the fact that Andy was only just eighteen herself, but whatever it was, he didn't hate feeling that way.

* * *

At the end of the day, Andy sat alone in her dorm room. She was catching up on the little work she missed the day before and trying to get as much done for the classes she didn't miss. Her bed was covered in books and papers and she was folded like a pretzel in the corner while she read over her CJ 101 paper assignment.

"You know," Traci said when she walked in, tossing her purse onto her bed. "Jerry's not as bright as a grad student should be."

"Why is that?" Andy asked, laughing as she looked down at Traci on her bottom bunk.

"I don't want a boyfriend and he seems to be trying really hard to _become_ my boyfriend," she said, resting back on her pillow.

"He's only known you for a week," Andy scoffed. "Jeez."

"That's what I'm saying! Thank you!"

"Although, you like him, right?" Andy asked now, pushing her books to the end of the bed so she could let her feet dangle over the edge.

"Yeah," Traci told her, letting her head fall to the side so they were looking at each other. "But, I dated Dex all through high school. I've only been here a week."

"No, I get it," Andy nodded. "I just- I guess, I don't get it," she laughed. "You like him, he's a nice guy that likes you back, what's the matter?"

"He's not the only nice guy around, you know," Traci smiled. "I don't want the first guy I meet to be the guy I end up spending all of my college years with. I want to explore a little, you know?"

"Yeah, I think I do."

"But he did tell me something very interesting that I think might concern you," Traci said, smiling conspiratorially now.

"I don't think I want to know what it is," Andy said, pulling her legs back onto her bed.

"Not even if it involves a certain TA?" Traci asked, feigning innocence and Andy shook her head as she opened her bio book and the notes Dov let her borrow. "Come on, Andy. Sam's _hot_ and he's older and he's got a th-"

"Traci," Andy said, sitting up again. "Please. I don't want to get my hopes up, okay?"

"You really like him?" She asked, standing up before she walked across the room to crawl the ladder onto Andy's bed. Andy made room for her, tossing her books and notebooks into her bag that she, then, dropped carefully onto her desk chair.

"I don't know if I'd use the word _really_," she said and Traci laughed as she rested against the wall. "But, yeah, I like him. You're right, though, I can't just fall for the first guy who smiles at me."

"Hey, you and I—we're different," Traci reminded her. "If you want to date Sam, then date Sam."

"And if you want to date Jerry, then date Jerry," Andy smiled and Traci shook her head. "I think you like him more than you're willing to admit."

"You're probably right," Traci admitted. "You want to talk about your dad yet?" She asked, changing the subject.

"I'm _definitely_ right," Andy said quietly. "And, no, not yet. Or ever."

"Okay," Traci sighed. "But I'm a really good listener. Seriously, I'll listen to you go on and on about Sam just as easily as I'll listen to you spill your guts about your dad. That's what friends are for, anyway."

"Same to you, you know."

"I know," Traci smiled, reaching out to squeeze Andy's knee.

Just then, their door flew open and Gail came in, kicking off her shoes. "I kissed Chris," she whispered as soon as the door was closed.

Andy and Traci exchanged a look. "You kissed _Chris?_" Andy asked and Gail shushed her before climbing up to join them.

"Move over, Trace," she said and Traci shook her head. "You both suck."

As Gail climbed over them, Andy and Traci moved around to make sure they'd all fit with their backs against the wall and their feet dangling over the opposite side. "So, you kissed Chris?" Andy asked again.

"Stop talking so loudly. He lives right next door. His bed is literally right on the other side of this wall," Gail reminded her.

"You mean this cinderblock wall that we've never heard a peep through even though we know how loud he and Dov are?" Traci asked. "I think we're okay."

"Fine, yes, I kissed him," she said, throwing her arms in the air. "I made out with his face and it was pretty great."

"When did this happen?" Andy asked, picking a piece of lint off of Gail's pants.

"Like, two seconds ago," she shrugged, focusing hard on the spot on her jeans where Andy just picked the lint. "Right downstairs in the common room. We won a game of ping pong against the RAs. I was feeling celebratory."

"Sure," Andy nodded, trying hard not to laugh. "How was it?"

"He's a better kisser than he looks," Gail admitted.

"He looks like a pretty good kisser," Traci said quietly and Gail reached across Andy's lap to hit her in the thigh. "So, you planning on kissing him again?"

"The ball's in his court," Gail decided right then and there. "What about you, Trace, are you still falling for your grad student?"

"Trying not to."

"And you, Andy? Are you still pretending you're not in love with our dimpled TA?"

"I am _not _in love with him," Andy insisted. "It's just a crush."

"Ha, yeah right," Traci laughed. "You can't _just _have a crush on Sam Swarek. Plus, you're going to be 19 in three days; I think we're all past the age of 'crushes.'"

"Fine, I am _not _in love with him and I do _not _have a crush on him," Andy agreed. "I like him. I have _feelings_ for him."

"Good," Gail nodded with a mischievous smile. "Then do something about it, will you?"

"Only if you do something about Chris."

"Hey, I already did. Have you kissed Swarek yet?" She asked and Andy shook her head slowly. "Didn't think so."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: This just came flying out of me when I actually sat down to write it. Jeez, but at the same time I'm not sure if I'm rushing things. I don't know. My head's a mess right now, so I could just be babbling. Anyway, enjoy and let me know your thoughts (especially since I trust you more than myself).**

When Sam finished climbing the steps to Boyko's Friday morning CJ 101 class, he nearly tripped over his feet at the sight that awaited him. Andy was slumped against the wall, curled around a book, with her hand in her hair.

"This is a record," he said when he was close enough and she looked up and smiled at him. "And you're dressed in regular clothes. How'd you pull that off?"

"My English professor was out and the TA had no idea what she was doing," Andy told him, stuffing her book into her backpack. "Class lasted all of twenty minutes, so I went back to my room and got dressed."

"And here you are," he smiled, extending his hand toward her. She took it and he pulled her to stand.

"Here I am," she agreed. Sam let her hand go and watched as it fell to her side and he kind of wished, just for a second, that he hadn't let it go at all.

There was a class finishing up in the room, so he leaned against the wall and she joined him. On Wednesday, she was on time thanks to her run through the Langham building, but she was exhausted and crabby. Today, she seemed much more like the Andy McNally he was starting to get to know. There was a faint smile on her face and she looked like she was bursting with energy—probably missing the run she was planning on taking between her classes. She couldn't stop hitting her fist, then her palm, against the wall that was between them. More than once he almost grabbed it to keep it still, but then he never would have let it go.

"Hey," she said suddenly, and he looked down at her with a raised eyebrow. "It's Friday. Can I expect to see you at the Penny tonight?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. He was caught up in all of his and Boyko's classes, but he was still exhausted.

"Well, how am I ever supposed to buy you that beer if you never go out?" She asked, backhanding him in the stomach.

"Well, if you actually plan on buying me that drink, I guess I have to show up," he smiled and she nodded.

"It _is_ my b-" she was cut off by the door opening as a flood of students walked past them. As the room cleared, more of Andy's classmates joined them and, together, they walked into the classroom and sat down.

"Happy birthday!" Traci called as soon as she entered and Sam looked at her with a questioning eyebrow. When she smiled shyly at him, he knew, without a doubt, that he would be at the Penny that night.

"Happy birthday," Gail said as they sat on the other side of her.

"Thank you!" Andy said, standing up to hug them both quickly. When all three of them sat down again, Sam nudged her knee with his own.

"Happy birthday," he told her and she smiled widely at him.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

More and more of the class was joining them and when Sam glanced at his watch, he realized he only had a minute before he had to start taking roll. "Hey," he said to Andy, reaching out to grab her arm and get her attention. "I'll be theretonight."

"Yeah?" She asked, smiling, and he nodded. "Good."

* * *

Andy walked into the Penny wearing a birthday tiara and a sash. Traci had looped her arm with Andy's while Dov had his arm around her shoulders. Gail and Chris were standing as far as humanly possible from each other due to the fact that she refused to make the next move and Chris had no idea what to do. Andy didn't want to worry about that, though. All she wanted to do was have a good time- and get her friends drunk enough so they wouldn't realize she had taken off the tiara and sash they forced on her.

When she saw Sam standing near the bar, smiling at his two friends, though, she couldn't care less about _anything_. She pulled herself away from her friends, squeezing Traci's hand quickly, and sauntered over to him as if he was the only person in the bar. And, as far as she was concerned, in that moment, he was.

"Ah, the birthday girl is here," Oliver announced as soon as she was within earshot. "Look at that, Sammy, Andy's here."

She saw the roll of Sam's eyes, but was more focused on the smile he was sharing with her. "Happy birthday," he said and she smiled, nodding once.

"You said that this morning," she reminded him and he shrugged before flagging down the bartender.

"I'll have another," he said and Andy turned back to where she left her friends, but they had found a table and were saving a seat for her. "McNally?"

"Hmm?" She said, turning back to Sam and the other grad students she was starting to get to know.

"What do you want to drink?" Sam asked slowly with an amused smirk on his face. He'd clearly just asked her that when she wasn't paying attention. She apologized and quickly told the bartender she wanted a rum and diet coke.

"Wait," she said, looking at Sam again. "I thought I was supposed to be buying _you _a drink."

"It's not my birthday," he reminded her. "You can get me a drink another time."

"Why are you making this poor girl buy you a drink at all, Sammy?" Jerry asked, finally ripping his eyes away from Traci.

"She spilled one all over me last week," he said. "Don't worry about it, man," he said, shaking his head. When their drinks were delivered, he took her by the arm and pulled her away from his friends and in the opposite direction of hers. She wasn't quite sure what his plan was, but she definitely wasn't fighting him on it.

When he seemed satisfied with where they were, he sat at the nearest table and stared at the chair next to him until she sat down. "I think it's that day," she said, looking into her glass.

"What day?" He asked and she looked up to smile and then down again. "Andy?"

"You know, that day I tell you why I'm nice to you and why I really like that you're nice to me," she admitted and she heard Sam let out a strangled laugh.

"You don't have to do that," he told her. "I don't care why just as long as you are."

"You're, like, really good at listening," Andy told him, ignoring his protest. "And I like that you don't treat me like a child. You're helpful and you seem to care. I mean, last Friday after class, you were just _so _nice to me. You know? And I didn't think we'd get along well at all after that first class, but I walked in here with all of my friends and left them to walk right up to you."

When she finished, she finally looked up at him and his mouth was slightly open and his eyes were wide. "And I think that's why I like when you're nice to me. Because, it makes me feel like I'm not completely crazy and that you _might _feel even a little bit like I do."

* * *

Sam was stunned silent and still until he saw the look on Andy's face replaced with fear and embarrassment. He swore she was about to get up and run out the door, so he grabbed her hand. "I really wasn't expecting..." he trailed off, running his thumb over knuckles. "That."

"I know," she shook her head, trying to wrench her hand away from his. "I have a really hard time keeping my mouth shut. I'm sorry."

"Andy, no," he laughed and her eyes searched his. "You're not crazy _at all_," he admitted. "Ask Oliver or, hell, Jerry. Or any of your friends, I'm sure."

"What do you mean?" She asked, successfully taking her hand out of his to take the tiara off her head. When she pulled her chair closer to his, he sat up straighter and angled his body so that one of his knees landed between both of hers.

"I don't do this kind of thing," he told her quietly, letting his hand fall to her knee so he could grip it lightly. "I like having you around, Andy. You're always smiling and I think it's starting to rub off on me. You are confident and it scares the crap out of me, but the way you look at me makes me feel like I'm doing something right."

"I've never seen you do anything wrong," she told him, placing a hand on each of his thighs.

"Well, I've been trying really hard to impress this girl," he smirked and she laughed, leaning closer to him.

"And it doesn't matter that I'm only nineteen years old?" She asked quietly, still moving closer. "Because it's going to be that way for another 365 days."

"Doesn't really bother me," he promised, pulling her chair closer with his feet. "Nope, nineteen's fine with me," he decided when her hand slid onto his shoulder and her eyes remained glued on his lips. "What about twenty-four, too old?"

"Shut up," she said, closing the gap between them. The change in him was instant and he'd never been so proud of himself- dragging her away from their friends so they could have a second to talk was turning out _way _better than he imagined. He tangled one of his hands in her hair, kissing her back and her grasp on his shoulder tightened.

Sam was the one to pull away as he twirled a piece of her hair between his fingers. "You'd think it was my birthday," he joked and she laughed, hiding her face in his neck. Her breath was warm and her pulse was racing, so he smoothed a comforting hand down her back until she sat up.

"Okay," she said, running a hand over her face. "Wow. So, that's what all the hype about older guys is about, huh?"

Sam laughed with a shrug and kissed her again- quickly, just so he could say _he _kissed _her_ at least once. "You should go back to your friends," he told her, squeezing her shoulder. "I don't want to be that guy that, you know, steals you away from them."

"You're probably right," she nodded, looking at his lips again and he couldn't even try and keep a smile off of them. "Thanks for the drink."

"Yeah, no problem," he promised, sliding off of his seat so he was standing over her. "Before you go over there, though, I just want to..."

He kissed her again, this time slowly as he pulled her to stand with him. She stood on her toes to deepen it and he let her, holding her tightly against his body. "Okay," she said, pulling away and shaking her head quickly. "If I don't go over there now, I never will," she laughed, picking up her tiara and her drink. "I'll, uh, I'll see you around."

"I'll be at the bar," he promised and she nodded, walking around him.

* * *

Andy walked over to her friends in a daze. She knew her lips were swollen and she couldn't care less because she could still feel Sam's lingering there.

"Hey, so do you think we should go dancing or do you just want to stay here?" Traci asked as soon as she had sat down. "I mean-" she cut herself off, laughing at the look on Andy's face. "How was Sam?" She asked.

"Oh, he was good," she said, nodding to herself. "Really... good."

"You're a mess," Gail laughed. Andy looked at her, challenging her before quickly flicking her eyes to Chris. It wasn't often Gail got red, but then she did and Andy smiled at her. "Let's go dancing. The five of us. Now."

"It's Andy's birthday," Dov reminded her. "Calm down, Casper."

"No, we should go," Andy nodded, taking down a good amount of her drink. "It'll be fun."

"Good," Traci said with a single clap of her hands. "Drink up!"

Andy looked behind her, at the bar, and saw Sam shaking his head at something Oliver was saying. She heard him and Jerry laugh, which caused Traci to turn back, too. "When was the last time you talked to him?" Andy asked and, from the corner of her eye she saw Traci shrug.

"We haven't talked since Wednesday," she admitted. "But it's a good thing."

"Okay," Andy said skeptically.

"Hey," Traci said, reaching for her arm and she turned toward her. "Focus on you and Sam right now. That's huge. He clearly likes you."

"It's clearly complicated," Andy laughed. "But it was, like, a _really _good kiss. Better than that, I don't even know."

"Wow," Traci laughed. "Go for it."

"Yeah," Dov said now, leaning in to join their conversation. "Go for it."

"What's it to you, Dov?" Andy asked, shaking her head.

"Look at your face," he shrugged. "We've got Trace who's trying not to fall for Jerry- and failing. We've got Chris and Gail pretending they never kissed a couple of days ago. Then, there's me, who hasn't gotten any action since we got here. You like Swarek, he likes you. So, go for it."

"Okay," Andy agreed, looking back at Sam again. "Okay."

"Are we going?" Gail asked, calling them back to the awkward silence between her and Chris.

"Five minutes," Traci said, pulling Andy toward the bar by her hand.

"What are we doing?" She asked, grabbing her drink before getting too far.

"I need to talk to Jerry and I need you to distract Sam and Oliver," Traci explained, letting go of her hand to take Jerry's and pull him further down the bar.

"Hi," Andy said awkwardly when Oliver and Sam looked at her with raised eyebrows. "How's it going?"

"Not as good as you," Oliver teased and Sam elbowed him while Andy's cheeks flared up. "How's the birthday so far?"

"Great," she nodded, looking quickly at Sam. "We're going dancing now; it should be fun."

"And what's going on back there?" Sam asked, nodding toward their friends.

"I honestly have no idea," she admitted with a smile. "I'm sure you'll find out all about it when he gets back over here."

"I'm sure you'll find out before I do," Sam argued and she shrugged.

"If worse comes to worse, you guys could always compare notes some other time," Oliver said. "Like... tomorrow night?"

"Dude," Sam said, elbowing him again. "Go sit in the corner."

"Come on!" Oliver complained and Sam just stared at the empty bar stool.

"Sorry about him," Sam said when they were alone. "He doesn't understand boundaries."

"It's fine, Sam," she promised. "This isn't going to be awkward now, right? We'll be able to sit next to each other in class and have a normal conversation without everyone knowing we made out?"

"I don't know about that," he laughed. "You didn't exactly choose the least public place in the world to kiss me."

"Well, I couldn't help it," she shrugged and he smiled. She wanted to kiss that smile right off of his face, but knew it wasn't wise if they wanted to take things slowly. "It's not like you pushed me away or anything."

"I would never," he said and she laughed, leaning into him. "I can't hang out tomorrow night, but we should, you know."

"Yeah, we should," she agreed. "But Traci is coming back over here. I'll see you in class."

"Where it won't be awkward," he promised and she laughed before leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. "Enjoy the rest of your birthday."

"Impossible not to now," she said, turning to walk away with Traci. "What was that?" She asked her as they neared their friends.

"We have a date tomorrow night," she said, trying to keep the smile off of her face.

"That's awesome!" Andy said. "Guys, let's go," she said to the table. Everyone drank down the rest of their drinks and they walked out together to hail a cab.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hope you like it :) Thanks for all the reviews. I love you guys!**

Andy woke up to her roommates yelling her name. Her head was pounding pretty badly and she could hear the redundant bouncing of a ball not far off. "What the hell is that?" She asked, sitting up slowly.

"You promised Chris you'd play basketball with him," Traci reminded her.

"So, either tell him you're not going to or get the hell out there and make him stop," Gail said, tossing a pillow across the room so it hit Andy right in the face.

"Jeez, fine," Andy said, slowly climbing down the ladder until her feet hit the floor. She pulled on a pair of sweatpants and made sure her roommates were properly covered before opening up the door. Chris stopped bouncing the ball immediately and smiled excitedly.

She was going to tell him that she needed to reschedule so she could get some rest and figure out a way to get the pounding in her head to stop, but he just looked like he really needed to do something. And she had promised him. Why did she do that again?

"I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes," she promised.

"Great," he said, tossing the ball into the air and then catching it. "Remember that court we walked by last night, we should go play there."

"Yeah," she said, not at all recalling a basketball court from the night before. She didn't remember much after they left the Penny. "I'll be right down."

"Okay," he said. She watched as he shoved the ball underneath his arm and walked toward the stairwell before she shut the door and started getting dressed.

"Why did I make these plans with him?" She asked over her shoulder. Gail shushed her.

"He's upset about Gail," Traci said, turning onto her back. "You told him when you're upset about a guy, you play basketball. And then you made him promise that he'd play with you today just so he could get her off his mind."

"Why is he so…? Not hungover?" Andy asked, pulling on a t-shirt over her sports bra.

"He's Chris," Gail said. "He paces himself. He drinks two bottles of water before going to bed. And if he's so upset that we're not together or that we haven't kissed since _I _kissed him, it's his own damn fault. You tell him that over your stupid game of basketball, okay?"

"You betcha."

Andy finished getting dressed quickly, ran across the hall to the bathroom to brush her teeth, and then jogged down the stairs and out the door. Chris was waiting there in the blazing hot sun, bouncing the ball again. He stopped when he heard the door close and she smiled at him. "Ready?" He asked.

"Lead the way," she told him.

As they walked, he dribbled and she kept clenching and unclenching her eye lids. The sunlight mixed with the bouncing wasn't helping her hangover. But, at least, it was all focused on her head. She'd been hungover way worse. She could deal with a headache. And, she figured, a game of basketball with a friend was a good way to pass the morning. That night, she had plans with him, Dov, and Gail to go to the library and work on their CJ 101 papers. Traci, being Traci, had already handed hers in even though it wasn't due until Wednesday (Thursday for the boys).

Andy took in her surroundings as they left campus and walked toward a more residential area. It wasn't the best neighborhood, but she could see people their age, probably students just like them, walking around and taking in the last bit of summery weather. As they turned another corner, Chris lost the ball and Andy caught it, bouncing it between her hands.

"So, do you like Gail or not?" She asked, focusing on the feel of the ball. When she looked at him, he had his hands in the pockets of his basketball shorts and a far off look in his eyes. "If you like her, you need to tell her."

"She scares the crap out of me," he admitted and Andy laughed, nodding.

"That's Gail," she reminded him. "You should make a move. You know, before she gives up and moves on."

"I know," he nodded. "I _do _know that. I will."

"Good," she smiled, bouncing the ball back to him. He caught it and nodded ahead of them, Andy figured toward the court across the street. When she looked up, though, Sam was leaning against a truck. "Damn, he looks even better when I'm hungover," she said quietly to Chris.

He laughed and said, "I'll meet you over there."

"Okay," she nodded, looking right at Sam—Sam who was smiling at her. "Are you stalking me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," he laughed, pushing himself to stand straight. "I didn't realize you'd be here—outside of my apartment."

"You live here?" She asked, looking up at the building they were outside of. "Where are you headed?"

"Who's stalking who now?"

"Shut up," she laughed.

"I have to go to Oliver and Zoe's for brunch," he told her. "I don't know why; Zoe hates me."

"I didn't know Oliver had a girlfriend," she said, bouncing onto her toes. "Who could ever hate you? You're so charming," she teased and he laughed.

* * *

"How was the rest of your night?" Sam asked, leaning a shoulder against his truck again. Andy laughed to herself as she brushed some hair out of her face.

"I don't really remember it," she admitted, leaning her shoulder against the window. He smiled and nodded for her to continue. "So, I'm guessing that it was good. How was yours?"

"Uneventful," he told her. "Boring. I came back here and fell asleep in front of the TV."

Andy nodded and Sam looked across the street to see Chris shooting hoops by himself. "I'll go over there in a second," Andy said, calling his attention back to her. She was standing closer to him now, looking up at him with her big brown eyes. He nodded and slowly put his hand on her waist, bringing her even closer.

"You're not what I expected," he told her, bringing his other hand to her face. He ran the pad of his thumb over her cheek and then lightly over her lips. "This isn't what I expected."

"I could say the same thing," she whispered, her hands on his chest now. She was leaning onto her toes, standing taller, and her lips were not far from his at all. "But I'm glad this is what's happening. If you weren't in the picture, I'd be making out with boys just like Chris over there. Jocks were my forte back in high school. Guys like you were the fantasy."

"Oh, really?" He asked through a smirk and she fell back on her heels.

"Not that I've fantasized about you," she said quickly. "Because I'm not _that_ creepy. I'm really _not _a stalker. But I like you and-"

"Andy?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up," Sam laughed before bring her back onto her toes so he could kiss her.

After a few seconds, he let her feet flatten and he turned them so that her back was against his truck and he bent his knees so his lips wouldn't leave hers. She was gripping his t-shirt with both hands, pulling him as close to her as possible. His hands were in her hair and then they were running down her sides and then they were around her waist and then they ran up her back until they were in her hair again. He wanted to feel as much of her body as he could in broad daylight. He didn't want the kiss to end—he enjoyed the small moans that escaped her lips every time they pulled away just for a second.

He liked her, too, obviously. She was funny—both intentionally and when she got so nervous that she turned into an awkward mess. Sam genuinely liked spending time with her even when most of that time was in class. He liked when she laughed. She wasn't one of those girls that giggled. No, she _laughed_, some might even call it cackling. He liked that she had these four people in her life that were still so new to her but that she spent all of her time with like they had always been there. And she cared about them more than he could even fathom. Sure, he cared about his friends, but Andy cared more for her friends than he'd seen people care for their families. And she cared about _him_.

Whenever he looked uncomfortable or unhappy, she was always quick to ask if he okay. She worked hard to make him smile and laugh. And she lingered—in class or at the bar, she hung back just to stay near him as long as she could. He liked that she lingered, because then he didn't have to. But he would. If she didn't linger, he didn't doubt for a second that he would do it himself. And, so, when she started to pull away, he lingered with her bottom lip nestled between both of his.

"It's morning," she laughed, looking around them. People were out, but no one was paying attention to them.

"I know," he laughed, resting his palms flat against his truck, on either side of her head. "I really need to get to Oliver's."

"I really need to get across the street," she agreed, yet neither of them moved. He leaned into her, dropped a kiss on her forehead, and then looked in her eyes.

"You're going to be a problem for me, aren't you?" He asked with a laugh and she nodded proudly. She kissed him quickly and wriggled out from underneath him. "Wait," he said, reaching for her wrist.

"Go to Oliver's," she laughed, putting a hand on his chest. "I promised Chris this game. It's bad enough that I'm hungover, I can't just abandon him completely so I can make out with our TA."

"Oh, is that all I am to you?" He laughed, pulling her into his body. "Your TA?"

"Yeah, pretty much," she shrugged. When he raised his eyebrow, she let out one of her laughs—loud and right in his face—before kissing him. "No."

"Good, now get out of here," he told her, letting her go and backing away.

"You're a good kisser, Sam Swarek," she called out when she was halfway across the street. She stopped and he leaned onto the top of the bed of his truck to watch her. "You're also very handsome and, from what I can tell, you have a great body. You're definitely not just a TA."

"That was all very superficial," he laughed and she shrugged, her arms extended. "But I'll take it."

"Well, good, because I said all of the nice stuff last night," she reminded him and he nodded. "Enjoy your brunch."

"Enjoy your basketball," he called back and she smiled before running the rest of the way to her friend.

* * *

After the library, much later that night, Andy sat on the floor of her dorm painting her toenails. Gail was sitting across from her, leaning against Traci's bed where Dov was lying. Chris was lying on the floor, tossing his basketball above his head when Traci walked in a promptly stopped at the sight that awaited her.

"What's going on in here? I thought you guys had to write your papers," she said, letting the door close behind her. She walked around Chris and sat in her desk chair.

"We finished," Dov mumbled. He was holding his phone over his face, playing a game. "Well, I finished."

"Done," Andy said, smiling up at her roommate. "How was your date?"

"I'm done for," Traci laughed, kicking her feet onto Andy's bed frame. "He's perfect."

"We knew it," Gail teased. "We all said you'd come back here a changed woman."

"We did, but I'm happy for you," Andy said. "Jerry's a good guy."

"Now Andy has even more of an in with Sam," Dov said, still distracted. Andy threw a pillow at him, knocking his phone out of his hand. "Hey, I'm not wrong."

"He's not," Chris called. "It's good to have a friend on the inside. Take advantage of it. Although, you and Sam looked fine this morning when you were making out on the side of the road."

"Wait, what?" Traci asked, getting up to sit next to Andy on the floor. Andy feigned innocence and fanned her hand over her finished toe nails. "Andy, what is he talking about?"

"Apparently, he lives across the street from that basketball court we supposedly walked by last night," she shrugged. "He was on his way to Oliver's as we were walking by. We had a… moment."

"Your moment included making out on the side of the street?" Gail asked, capping her bottle of nail polish. "Some moment."

"Let's just drop me and Sam, okay?" Andy begged. She stretched her legs out in front of her, threw her hair into a ponytail and looked at the faces of each of her friends.

Traci was smiling at her like she knew a secret—which she probably did. She could tell Andy liked Sam just as much as she liked Jerry. Gail had an eyebrow raised at first, but then let it fall as she focused on the muscles in Chris's arms as he continued throwing the basketball. His face was tired, he was concentrated on what he was doing and, Andy knew, he was planning on how to move things along with Gail. She won their basketball game, so he was forced to tell her everything about how much he actually liked her. It was a lot. Dov was half asleep; his phone now by his side and his eyes kept slipping closed. If he didn't leave soon, Traci would end up having to kick him out or sleep with Andy or Gail. There was no way she would ever sleep in his bed; Dov was a slob.

She liked these four people. They already felt like a family and she was happy that she fit somewhere. This was it—in her dorm room with her four new best friends. They lived next door to each other, they took classes together, they ate lunch together, and they spent weekends together. It was like her group of friends she had in high school, but somehow better. The five of them already had a deep understanding of one another and they never got sick of just _being_. She could get used to it.

Andy could also get used to how she fit with Sam. She liked having that one thing all to herself. Maybe Dov and Chris were right about Jerry and Traci helping her with him, but she didn't need any help. Because they did fit—without anyone else. He had these eyes that made her melt whenever they focused on her and his lips made her feel alive. As cliché as it sounded in her head, she knew it was true. She'd kissed plenty of guys in her life, but none of those kisses made her feel the way Sam's did. He was older, strong, and serious, but she was privy to his little quirks that her friends were not. He rarely _smiled_, he smirked. He bit the inside of his cheeks and lips when he was focused on anything, on her especially. He was protective, but in a very subtle way, like when he kept his hand on the small of her back or made sure that she would make it to class on time.

"Want to get ice cream?" Chris asked causing Dov to sit up immediately and swing his legs off of Traci's bed.

Gail laughed and pointed at the alarm clock next to her. "It's a little late, guys. Where are we going to get ice cream?" She asked.

"The fridge in the common room," Chris said, standing up. He put out a hand for Andy and Traci and pulled them to stand before offering Gail both. She took them suspiciously, but let him pull her up. Andy noticed that their eyes never left each other's faces and their hands remained clasped far longer than they needed to.

"The RAs stocked it last night," Dov told them, opening up the door. "I mean, there should definitely be some left, but who knows? The fourth floor was in there all day today."

"Well, let's go check," Gail said, walking past everyone with her hands deep in her pockets. Andy looked back at Chris who just shrugged with a broad smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: A lot of back and forth in this one. A lot of Sam and Andy. Anyway, let me know your thoughts...**

Sam stayed behind in Boyko's class so that he could answer any last minute questions about the paper due on Wednesday. No one was stopping to ask questions and he was sure that a few of them would regret it when they got their grades back. It wasn't a difficult paper, but Boyko wasn't the easiest grader. In fact, he was one of the tougher graders Sam had in his undergraduate career. As he sat at his desk, watching people walk past him or pack up, he remembered the weight of Andy's hand on his shoulder when she walked out of the classroom with her friends. He remembered the flirty smile she threw at him when she entered the classroom in the nick of time.

She had bid farewell to her friends before she turned toward the bathroom to change and Sam was going to stay in class just long enough to make sure they'd have to walk to the dining hall together. Because, why the hell not? And when Andy peeked her head in on her way to the stairwell, she caught his attention with a clearing of her throat. When he looked up at her, he smiled back before looking at the last two students in the back of the room. He was pretty sure they were waiting for him to leave so they could make out in the back of the class without an audience. He accidently walked in on the exact scene when he left his backpack behind the week before.

"Hey," Sam said when he joined her in the hallway.

"Hello," Andy said softly. "How was brunch on Saturday?"

"Oh, you know," he shrugged. "Brunch-y…"

"Brunch-y?" She laughed, throwing her head back. "How do you feel about lunchy?" She teased and he rolled his eyes. "I am starving."

"Let's go," he nodded. She shook her head, amused, and walked out in front of him. Sam watched her shoulders bounce under her baseball-t as she walked down the steps, he could see the definition of her calves through her skinny jeans, and he wondered what the hell he was getting himself into with everyone of his own steps.

Andy was already outside, holding open the door, when he got to the bottom of the stairs and he hurried to meet up with her. She was especially smiley and he couldn't stop himself from smiling back at her. "So, do you have any questions about your paper?" He asked when they started walking across the lawn toward the dining hall.

"Hey, you don't have to be my TA right now, you know. We can be friends who are just walking to lunch," she reminded him and he laughed. "But no, I don't. Thank you."

"Friends," he tried the word out on his tongue and she was watching him with an amused look on her face.

"Of course we're friends," she shrugged. "Friends who are five years apart and just happen to have an abundance of chemistry."

"I thought the age thing didn't bother you," he said, ignoring the topic of their chemistry. She was right, it was there and there was a lot of it. Talking about it would just make him want to kiss her again. Which he already did, so he didn't need to be reminded of how badly.

"I just don't understand how it doesn't bother you," she said quietly and he stopped her with a hand on her wrist. It took a little while for her eyes to find his, but when they did he could see the uncertainty in them.

"Why would it?" He asked, letting go of her. She rolled her eyes with a certain exaggeration that made him laugh quietly to himself and take a small step toward her. "Hey, it's not like we're getting married, Andy. We've made out, we're… friends," he smiled and she bit back her own smile. "At least, we are according to you."

"You don't want to be my friend?" She asked, taking her own step closer.

* * *

Andy didn't care that they were standing in the middle of the lawn that sat between three different academic buildings and the cafeteria. She didn't care that there were people all around them. All she'd thought about in class was kissing him again. It was bad enough when he was nowhere near her, but sitting next to him for 50 minutes made her itch.

"I don't… not want to be your friend," he said after a long minute of staring at her lips—something that made her feel awfully good about herself.

"Now you're just talking in circles, Sam," she teased him and he slowly raked his amused eyes up her face from her lips.

"McNally," he said, his voice rough and quiet. "Do you ever _stop_ talking?"

"Only when somebody makes me," she challenged. He nodded quickly, like he was really considering his options, and put his hand at the base of her neck to pull her in for a kiss.

Andy didn't hesitate to kiss him back or to run her arms around his waist and beneath his backpack. Making out with backpacks was not an easy feat, but she was determined to make it work. She'd known he was going to kiss her, it's not like she wasn't angling for him to do so, but she was a little shocked at how much want there was behind his kiss. He wasn't being gentle with her, which she didn't mind one bit, and he seemed to forget that they were out in public as his hand ran the side of her body and slid into the back pocket of her jeans. She moaned against his mouth before pushing him away lightly.

"Sam," she breathed keeping a slight grip on his shoulders.

"I don't know what that was," he admitted quietly, letting his hands fall from her body.

"Hey, I'm not complaining," she laughed, looking around to see that no one seemed to mind their little public display. Sam looked off to the side, like he was embarrassed, and she took one of her hands off his shoulder to guide his head up so he'd look at her again. "You just have really bad timing," she teased. "You always kiss me in public, in the _middle_ of the day."

"Right," he laughed, fingering the thin hem of her shirt.

"I really am starving, though, so do you want to actually get lunch and actually eat it without any distractions?" She asked as she finally let go of him. He took the hint and put his hand on her back to walk to the dining hall together.

"By the way," he said, spreading his hand as wide as he could on her lower back, while they were walking in the building together. "You're a constant distraction."

"Oh, good," she said thoughtfully. "I'm glad I'm not the only one."

She looked up at him and he was trying—and failing—to keep his smile in check. She could see his tongue in his cheek and the squint of his eyes. She had to stop him and kiss his cheek. The smile erupted and she smiled triumphantly.

"Since we're headed in the same direction from here, would you mind walking me to class?" She asked and she felt like she was back in high school asking her ex-boyfriend, Tanner, to walk her to class. She almost rolled her eyes at herself.

"Yeah," he nodded slowly. "I know where you sit, I'll, uh, meet you there after I eat with Oliver."

"Perfect," she nodded. "Enjoy your lunch."

* * *

Sam sat down with Oliver, who only had a few minutes to spare after Jerry had already left, but, for some reason, he wasn't in much of a hurry. "I heard an interesting rumor about two minutes ago," he told Sam, who nodded as he put his sandwich to his mouth. "Interested?"

"Sure," Sam shrugged when he swallowed down his first bite. Sam didn't care for rumors or gossip, but Oliver always got a kick out of it.

"I heard there was a TA making out with a freshman in the middle of the quad," he said now, leaning onto his crossed arms on top of the table.

"Huh," Sam said, annoyed now. He especially didn't like rumors and gossip when they were about them.

"Yeah, apparently it _just_ happened and some girl who just got out of her CJ 101 class saw it when she was walking in here," Oliver continued and Sam let out a slow, deep breath. "She described it as very… graphic."

"Oh my god," Sam said, pushing his food away. "It was hardly graphic. And who I kiss in the quad is no one's damn business."

"I never said it was you," Oliver laughed and Sam rolled his eyes. "It is interesting that you dated Monica for a year and I never even saw you touch her."

"Well, that's probably not true," Sam told him. "And Andy isn't Monica. And I'm not the same person I was junior year."

"So, you're saying you like her more than you liked Monica?"

"I dated Monica for a year, I've known Andy for two weeks," Sam argued.

"You do, I can see it," Oliver enlightened him and Sam sighed, turning his head to look at Andy and her friends. "Right now! I can see it right now."

"It's different," Sam admitted, scratching the back of his head. "She's different. I don't know why."

Oliver smiled, clapped Sam on the shoulder, and stood up from the table. "Don't hurt her," he warned. "She's young."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Sam snarled, pulling his plate toward him again.

"I'm just saying that I like her and I don't want to see her get swallowed up by her feelings for you," Oliver continued. "This is a whole new ballgame for her, Sammy. Maybe you should take it slow. For the both of you."

"Yeah," Sam nodded and Oliver finally left him alone.

He was wrong, Sam had it under control. And he wasn't worried about Andy. She was an adult. Just because she was a little bit younger than him didn't mean he was going to go and break her heart. He'd known her two weeks and all that had happened between them was a couple of make out sessions. He had no doubt in his mind that Andy had dealt with her fair share of guys. In the little amount of time that he'd spent with her, he'd seen at least three out of every five guys stop and watch her. Therefore, it wasn't her first time in the ring and he had no problem believing that she could take care of herself.

He looked back at her table again to find her laughing at something one of her friends said. She was laughing so hard that he could see a couple of tears and he smiled to himself. She would be fine. He would be fine. If things went any further, _they _would be fine.

* * *

Andy didn't wait for Sam to join her; instead she sat down with him. "You and Oliver looked like you just had an intense conversation," she said as soon as she sat down. He looked up at her, surprised to even see her, and she continued before he could say anything. "And I can't help but think that it was about me. I only say that because Gail and I had an intense conversation and it was definitely about you."

She watched as he digested that information. He looked back at the table where her friends were, the girls were both pretending not to be watching them and Andy rolled her eyes. "Sam," she said and he finally looked back at her.

"It was," he admitted.

"About us going too fast? About us making out on the quad?" She asked even though she knew the answer.

"Yeah," he nodded. "How did you know that?"

"Gail saw us, she told Oliver," she explained. "They think I'm going to get hurt."

"News sure does travel fast around here," he laughed humorlessly.

Andy didn't necessarily think Sam would hurt her, but only because the two of them barely knew each other. She thought that was more the point to their friends' concerns. And she was starting to understand them. She didn't _know _him; hell, she'd only met him two weeks ago.

"They might be right," Andy said and she immediately saw the hurt on Sam's face. "No, sorry. They're not right about you hurting me, or, at least, I don't think they are. I think they're more worried about us not knowing each other. They're right about that."

"That's true," he admitted. "I mean, we don't."

"No," she laughed. "We don't. And you were right outside, we're not getting married. Obviously. But if this goes any further, which I want it to, maybe we should be friends first."

"I thought we were already friends," he smirked and she laughed again. "I know what you mean. That's fine because this _will_ go further."

"You're awfully sure of yourself," she joked and he shrugged. Andy looked at him, knowing he was probably right—wishing he was right—and she knew she liked him. She knew she didn't want to take it any slower. She also knew, though, that they should. "I've never kissed someone I didn't know my entire life," she admitted. "Well, now I have, I guess."

"Wait, seriously?" Sam asked, laughing and she glared at him until he stopped.

"I may be from the city, but I went to school with the same people my entire life. My ex-boyfriends have all been people I met in, like, first grade. Isn't college supposed to be my slutty phase?"

"I mean, we don't have to call it _that_," Sam laughed and she smiled graciously. "Do guys have slutty phases?" He asked and she shrugged. "Well, if they do, mine was definitely in high school and it may have spilled over into freshman year here. But, I haven't dated in a while. A long while."

"Why?" Andy was sure there were plenty of women that would have _loved _to date, kiss, and sleep with Sam Swarek. The dimples alone made her palms sweat.

"I'm not great at it," he admitted. "So, while I figure that out and we get to know each other a little better, we'll be friends."

"But if we make out again, I wouldn't be terribly disappointed in either of us."

"No," he said quickly. "We should definitely keep that on the table, you know, just in case?"


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I _really _wanted to get this up tonight. So, I did. It's probably not my best, but I like it enough. That's got to mean something, right? Who knows. **

**Anyway, if you're waiting for a _We Danced _update, it's coming. I promise. I'm so close to the end of the story that I need to really concentrate on getting from where it is to where I want it to end. The next chapter should be up by early next week, if not sooner. **

Sam hurried across the parking lot and then turned onto campus. It was pretty chilly out, autumn had snuck up on everyone over the week, but there were still plenty of underclassmen hanging out on the lawns and littering the sidewalks. As he crossed over from one sidewalk to another, he noticed a group of familiar freshman and made his way over there.

They were sitting in a circle, not really talking or even paying attention to each other. They were just there with books and notes scattered around them. Sam used his foot to get one's attention.

"What the hell?" Andy said, pushing a book off her lap. When she looked up her face went from annoyed to amused and Sam smiled at her. "Hey, pal," she said and his smile grew.

"Hey, buddy," he said, extending his hand. Andy took it gratefully and let him pull her to stand. They took a few steps away from her friends whose noses were still in their books. "Aren't you cold?" He asked, nodding to her bare legs. She pulled on the bottom of her shorts and shrugged.

"Chris and I just finished a game of basketball in the gym," she explained. "I'm actually kind of sweaty."

He laughed quietly at that and she smiled at him again. They kind of watched each other for a few seconds and Sam wondered what she was doing studying outside when she could have been in her dorm or the library. "It's too nice to be inside, don't you think?" She asked him as if she just read his mind.

"No," he laughed again. "I'm actually on my way to the library."

"Ah, I was wondering what you were doing on campus on a Saturday," she nodded. "Wait, why don't you just do homework or study in your apartment? I thought that was one of the perks of being able to live off campus."

"Normally, it is," he insisted. He thought about his apartment and the exact reason he wasn't studying there, why he _couldn't _study there. "There are way too many distractions at my place right now."

"What, you couldn't get that girl from last night out?" She joked and Sam could see that there was a part of her that believed it to be true. She had seen him talking to a girl from one of his classes at the bar the night before and now she thought that he brought her home and couldn't get rid of her fast enough.

"That's cute," he smirked and she smiled tightly. "No girls, just a, um, dog. My dog, I guess."

"You have a dog?" She asked, her voice higher pitched than he'd ever heard it. "We've known each other for almost two months and you never told me that you have a _dog?_"

"Well, I didn't always have one, McNally," he told her and her eyes narrowed. "My sister decided she couldn't take care of it and dropped it off with me a couple of days ago. Now he's mine and he demands a lot of attention. Which is why I needed to leave him at home for a few hours and come to the library to do my homework."

"Well, you're bringing him to Jerry's bonfire tonight, aren't you?" She asked, twisting her hands in between their bodies. He could feel the excitement coming off of her and he couldn't help but shake his head with an amused smile.

"I didn't know you were coming tonight," he said, letting her stew about the dog a little longer.

"Yeah, he invited us last week," she explained. "I hear his roommates kind of suck, though."

"They do," Sam promised and she twisted her mouth in disgust. "But Oliver and I will be there. And Boo."

"That's the dog's name?" She asked, her whole face lighting up.

"Boo, as in Boo Radley," he nodded and Andy's wide eyes got even wider.

"I love that book."

"Yeah, so does Sarah," he shrugged. "And so do I. It's one of the few things we agree on."

"Are you going to be able to take care of a dog?" She asked suddenly and he, honestly, felt a little offended at the suggestion that he couldn't.

"Of course," he said sounding defensive.

"I don't doubt that you are able to take care of a dog," she said quickly, taking a small step toward him. That step brought her the closest they had stood in almost a month, since they decided to be friends. "You don't have a lot of time on your hands. You're a busy guy, Sam."

"I know," he agreed. "But it's important to Sarah and I actually kind of like the thing. It'll be good to have some company."

"Okay," she smiled, shuffling her feet. "Then, I can't wait to meet him."

"I should go," he told her quietly and she nodded, stepping back. "I'll see you tonight, Andy."

"Yeah, have fun at the library," she smiled.

"Have fun here," he said and she nodded, rubbing her arms up and down."Oh," he said, unzipping his sweatshirt. "Take this. I'm going inside anyway."

"Sam, it's fine," she said, pushing his hand, and the sweatshirt, against his chest.

"Take it," he said, pushing back and she bit her bottom lip before slowly taking the sweatshirt from him.

"Thank you," she said, sliding it on. "It's a little big," she said, tilting her head and squinting her eyes as the sun broke out from a cloud.

"Well, I am a man," he smiled and she laughed, looking down. "You are a freshman."

"I guess that's true," she said with a roll of her eyes and he shrugged smugly.

"All right, well I'll see you tonight."

"See you tonight, Sam," she smiled. After a sigh, he walked past her and headed toward the library, a little colder than when he got out of his truck.

* * *

"Are we walking?" Andy asked, pulling her head out of the set of drawers beneath her bed. Traci and Gail were rummaging through their own on the other side of the room. "Or should we take a cab?"

"We should walk there," Traci said, holding a shirt out in front of her before throwing it back in her top drawer. "You guys should take a cab back here, though."

"You're spending _another _night at Jerry's?" Gail asked, pulling a shirt over her head. "That's, like, four in a row."

"It's young love," Andy teased wistfully and Traci scoffed. "Well, it is. She just won't admit it."

"It's not love," Traci argued. "It's new."

"Not really," Gail reminded her. "This has been going on for almost two months."

Andy nodded, her back to her friends again, and pulled out a shirt she deemed appropriate for a bonfire. It was a sweater, really, but it was cute and she could make it work with her new boots. After she put it on, she looked back to find Traci and Gail completely dressed.

"Don't forget Sam's sweatshirt," Traci said and Andy reached for it on the back of her desk chair. Traci and Gail smiled knowingly at her and she rolled her eyes.

Over the past three or four weeks, ever since she and Sam decided to slow down and just be friends, Traci and Gail wouldn't let up on teasing her. Even though they agreed that them being friends was for the best, they knew how she felt about him. They knew how hard it was for her not to touch him. And she hadn't, not since that day in the quad.

They were actually getting pretty good at being friends. She knew a little bit about his older sister—she had a rough childhood and she and Sam weren't as close as they had once been. He knew that her dad was a detective in Toronto and that he was probably close to retiring. He did not know the reason for that, though, and she wasn't quite ready to share it with her new friend. She knew he could fix his car with no help and that he could cook when he needed to. In fact, he brought in leftovers for lunch once and she stole some chicken off his plate only to eat the rest when he was sick of her fingers grabbing at it. After CJ 101 and lunch, when they had classes in the same building, they sat together in the hallway and talked or, sometimes, just studied in silence.

"We should go," Andy said, checking her watch. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Chris and Dov waiting and she smiled. "Ready?"

"Ready," Dov nodded and she followed him out.

Traci looped her arm through Andy's while Chris and Gail took up the rear. They had kissed once more—she had kissed him again—and now the ball was really in Chris's court. Gail had a date with Luke Callaghan, the senior that asked Andy out on their first day. When Andy looked over her shoulder, Chris was looking at Gail and Gail was looking at her feet with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

The walk to Jerry's wasn't far and it wasn't too chilly out. The sun had set a while ago, but the stars were bright and the moon was almost full. Andy listened while Chris and Dov talked about their videogame and Traci and Gail talked about their upcoming Sociology test. She ran the sleeve of Sam's sweatshirt between her fingers and smiled at his earlier kindness. She was giddy at the thought of meeting his dog—Andy had always wanted one for herself, but her dad worked too much and her mom was, well, her mom was gone.

Traci led them down a side street and to a house just big enough for the three people that lived there—if that. But once they reached the backyard, Andy's mouth gaped at the sheer size of it. The bonfire was set up in the dead center, already burning, Sam's truck was backed into the yard with its tailgate down, and there were lawn chairs and some blankets set up around the rest of the grass. Andy smiled at Oliver and then her eyes traveled to his feet where there was a grey and black dog resting and she smiled even wider.

"Hey," she heard from behind her and she turned to find Sam carrying a six-pack.

"Hey," she said. "Here," she smiled, stretching her arm to give him back his sweatshirt.

"I have a feeling you might need that later," he told her, waving her off with his free hand. "Want to meet Boo?"

"God, I thought you'd never ask," she laughed, walking ahead of him toward Oliver and the dog. "Hi, Oliver."

"Andy," he smiled with a nod. "You're clearly not here to see me," he said when he realized her eyes had never met his, but instead remained on the dog who was now on his feet and sniffing around her lower body.

"Andy, this is Boo," Sam said, handing Oliver a beer and cracking one open for himself. "He smells things."

"Hi," she cooed, resting on her knees to be face to face with the dog. "You're so cute. I love you."

"I told you he would get you laid, man."

Andy's face contorted and looked up to see who said that and then her face fell.

"Andy McNally?!"

* * *

Sam looked between Jerry's roommate and Andy who was still on the ground with her hand mindlessly ruffling Boo's fur. Andy looked like she had just been punched in the gut, but Mike looked like a smug son of a bitch—more so than usual. When Andy dragged her eyes from Mike to Sam, he extended his hand and pulled her to stand. He also handed her his beer because she looked like she needed it.

"What are you doing here?" She asked after taking down half of the beer. Sam stood to one side of her and Oliver got up from his seat and stood on her other side. Boo took his place right in front of her.

"I _live_ here," Mike answered and Sam noticed Andy's eyes widen before swinging to his. He nodded his confirmation and he physically watched her deflate. "What are you doing here? And how do you know anyone here?"

"She's my best friend," Traci said as she and Jerry joined their group.

"You two know each other?" Jerry asked, looking between Andy and Mike before glancing at Sam to gauge his reaction. Sam just stood there, with a hand on the small of Andy's back.

"She cheated on my brother," Mike laughed and Andy took a step forward and Sam was scared she was going to lunge at him.

"That is _not _true and you know it," she said as Sam dragged her back toward him with a hand on her shoulder.

"You _slept _with Matt," Mike reminded her and Sam looked at her. She was fuming as she handed Sam his beer back.

"Tanner and I were broken up when I slept with Matt," she argued, pointing at his chest, and Sam continued to watch her as his fingers idly peeled off the beer's label. Traci had left Jerry's side and had moved to where Oliver had been originally.

"Yet, you never told him when you got back together three months later," Mike continued and Andy ran her hands over her face.

"Okay," Jerry said now, stepping between them, his back to Andy and Sam. "It's over now, okay? Didn't you just tell me that your brother is dating someone? That's he's madly in love with her? Let him be happy and leave Andy alone. She's my guest and she's not going anywhere. Play nice."

"Fine," Mike said, raising his hands in defense. "Welcome to my home," he said to Andy once Jerry stepped out from between them.

"Thank you," she said coldly before walking over to Chris, Dov, and Gail.

"You're kind of an ass, huh, Mikey?" Sam asked and Mike shrugged. "Just leave her alone."

"I left her alone, Sammy," he reminded him and Sam sighed before walking away, nodding for Boo to follow him.

"Sorry about that," Sam said when he walked up to Andy and her friends.

"_I'm_ sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't cheat on him, you know?"

"I believe you," he promised and she smiled. "You want to talk about it?" He asked quietly and she nodded. "My truck?"

"Okay," she smiled again and he led them to the back of his truck. After a single sweep of his hand, Boo was resting in the bed, his head on the lowered tailgate. Sam sat on one side as Andy slid onto the other before petting down his head and his back.

"Tanner and I dated forever, or, you know, like two years," she started and Sam nodded for her to continue. "He broke up with _me_ right after homecoming senior year. I wasn't really that broken up about it, so I started dating some kids I went to school with. Nothing happened and they all kind of sucked. Matt has been my friend _forever_ and we got drunk and slept together over winter break. It happened a couple of more times once school started and then we just stopped and it was good because it was like it never happened. Everything went back to how it always was. I wasn't, like, in love with him. So, around March, Tanner asked me to get back together. I thought I missed him, so I said yes. I never told him about Matt. It didn't come up. I didn't even think of it, really. Is that weird?"

"No," Sam said, shaking his head. "If it didn't mean anything, that makes sense."

"That's how I felt," Andy agreed, rubbing Boo's ears mindlessly. It made Sam smile when his head landed on her lap. "So, anyway, we all got a beach house after prom and Matt got drunk and brought it up for the first time ever. Obviously, Tanner heard and he broke up with me. But he broke up with me because he realized that he didn't care and he realized that I didn't care whether or not he found out. Tanner and I were never going to stay together. It was a relationship of convenience and familiarity, you know?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I don't know why Mike is more upset about it than Tanner was," Andy shrugged and finally looked up at Sam. "I'm sorry… I just rambled so much."

"I asked if you wanted to talk," Sam reminded her, laughing. "I _wanted _you to ramble. That's what friends are for."

"Well, you know where to find me if you ever need to ramble," she offered and he nodded.

"Go hang out with your friends," he said, nodding to the group of them around the fire and she smiled at him.

"I am."


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I really wanted to get this up before I left for vacation. I hope you like it because I know I've been busy and distracted lately, but this story is still important to me. Thanks for reading!**

Sam's hand was tangled in her hair as his mouth left wet kisses down her neck and across her chest. Andy's breathing had become ragged long ago and her hands were gripping his back, sure she was leaving marks on his skin. He didn't seem to mind as his mouth traveled back to hers and their hips matched. She moaned against his tongue and her legs tightened around his hips, making sure he couldn't move away. "Sa-"

"Jeez, McNally, drool much?"

Andy's head whipped up and her eyes met Sam's questioning ones and then she turned to find Traci and Gail watching her across the table. "What?" She asked, running her hand over her hair. She looked back at Sam and he smirked. "How long was I asleep?"

"About an hour," he shrugged.

"Why didn't you wake me up? I need to study!" She sighed, flipping open her CJ 101 book.

"That's why," he said, closing it again. "You're not going to retain anything if you don't sleep. Plus, you were studying the wrong sections, anyway."

"You could have told me which ones to study," she reminded him and he just shook his head.

"Hey, you don't get special treatment just because you make out with the TA," Gail said and Andy gave her a dirty look. "Was that supposed to be a secret? If so, you did a horrible job of keeping it that way."

"Gail," Traci said, reaching for her arm. "Drop it."

"Oh, look, more students," Sam said, changing the subject. Gail and Traci finally sat down and Andy opened her book again. Sam offered her a small smile and her eyes couldn't leave his lips. The same ones she had just been dreaming about. The same ones she'd been dreaming about for months.

She and Sam met up in the library after their last class of the day. He was holding a study group for the midterm that was taking place in a few days and Andy was studying for the three others happening the same week. Needless to say, she was freaking out. Which is why, she supposed, she hadn't slept much the night before and why she fell asleep nearly immediately after she sat down.

"So, what's your dog do all day while you're at school?" Gail asked, looking up from her doodles in her notebook.

"He hangs out at home and my neighbor brings him out for a walk a couple of times a day," Sam explained. "Wait. Where are Chris and Dov?"

"They're getting the study guide and notes for Soc with Oliver and we're getting the study guide and notes from you," Andy explained and Sam nodded.

"Great, then we should start." he said, passing out the study guides as more students joined them in the study room.

* * *

As the freshman left the study room, Andy and her friends stayed behind with Sam. He started to pack up his bag and looked to the seat next to him. Andy had been looking at him weird during the whole study group session. Every time he looked at her, which, he admitted, was more than he looked at anyone else, she was already looking at him. And as soon as his eyes met hers, she quickly looked down at her book or her lap or… anywhere but him. That is, until he looked away. He could feel her eyes boring a hole in his face, but he had to stop himself from looking back at her again and again.

"I should head home, make sure Boo eats something," he said, finally looking at Andy.

"Oh, okay," she nodded, smiling tightly before looking at her friends. "We should head back to the dorm anyway."

"But can you, uh, hang back for a second?" Sam asked, throwing his bag onto his shoulder.

"Um," she trailed off, glancing at her friends. "Sure."

Traci and Gail packed up fast and left them behind with a smile. "We can walk out together," Sam said before he stood up and started to walk out of the room.

When he looked back, Andy was slowly standing, looking like she was a fish out of water. "So, what's up?" She asked when they were walking down the stairs to the library's main level.

"I just felt like we should talk," he said slowly, making the sentence up as he went along. He really just didn't want her to leave yet or want to be the one to leave her. After her fight with Mike at Jerry's bonfire, they had spent the whole night talking on the tailgate of his truck while his dog moved his head from lap to lap.

Now, a week later, the two of them had only spoken a few times. Sam was starting to understand Andy as a _studier_. She took midterms seriously and, as much as he enjoyed watching her freak herself out for no reason, he was starting to miss the Andy McNally who joked with him between classes and smile at him from across the dining hall.

"I have to get back and find Dov," she said, stopping on the sidewalk. He past her shoulder, focusing on the next part of his plan, and shook his head. "Yeah, Sam, I do," she laughed.

"What does he have that I don't?" He challenged with a smug smirk.

"My sociology study guide and my bio notes that he borrowed," she smiled back, shaking her head with a laugh. "What can you offer me right now?"

"I guess I can't stand up to bio notes," he said sarcasticlly. "But do you want to stop by the dining hall and grab dinner real quick?"

"Oh my god! Sam, yes, I haven't eaten since yesterday," she sighed.

"Come on, Andy," He said, putting his arm around her shoulders and dragging her toward the dining hall. "I know you've never done the whole college midterm thing before, but you need to eat and sleep. You're going to really regret it when the tests are all over. Plus, you still have finals to look forward to."

"Wow, thanks for that reminder," she said, giving him a dirty look and she squeezed her shoulders before putting his hands into his pockets. "I'll just grab something quick. I can't stay to eat."

"Yes, you can," he said, pulling open the door for her. "Andy, midterms aren't the end of the world. Your life still exists and you need to sit down and eat. Then, you can meet up with your friends and study, and then you need to sleep. Okay?"

She looked up at him with her wide eyes and her defeated face. "I don't want to mess up my freshman year. I can't."

"You're not going to," Sam insisted. "Trust me. I won't let that happen. I've taken all of these classes, you know?"

"I also know that you have your own midterms and your own life."

Sam just smiled as they stood in line and she shoved him lightly. "My midterms ended last week," he admitted. "The grad school runs on a different schedule than you guys. And my life has been pretty… quiet this week."

"Oh yeah? Why is that?"

"Doesn't matter, I just want you to know that if you need any help, I'm pretty good at my job."

"I'll let you know, but when midterms are over, I'm definitely going to need a favor."

"I don't like the sound of that," he told her and she narrowed her eyes at him until he laughed.

"Just let me hang out with Boo," she said and he laughed even louder, definitely not expecting that to be the favor. "I want to see if that dog therapy thing really works. And Boo loves me."

"Fine, McNally, you can hang out with my dog so he can calm your nerves."

"And you can come, too, I guess" she smiled playfully at him and he was tempted to kiss the smile right off of her lips, but he had places he needed to be.

* * *

Andy said goodbye to Sam before they headed in separate directions. She was actually happy that she stayed behind with him and decided to have dinner with him. She kind of missed him over the week she was stressing about midterms. And hanging out with Sam, even for just a half an hour, had really calmed her down.

"Andy, hey."

She looked away from Sam's retreating back to find Dov running toward her from the library. "Hey," she said and they fell into step together on the way back to their dorm.

"I have your notes from the soc study group, but your bio notes are in my room," he told her and she nodded.

"Okay, I'll just grab them tonight so I have them to study over the weekend," she decided and he smiled at her. "How's the soc test look?"

The rest of the way to their building, they talked about the study groups the other missed. Neither were worried about soc; that professor was very straight forward. They were both, however, terrified for Boyko's test. Even though Sam went over every possible question that could be on the test, Andy wasn't convinced she'd pass with flying colors.

As they made their way into their building, Andy noticed Luke Callaghan waiting outside. "Hey, do you know where Gail is? She's not answering and I was supposed to pick her up ten minutes ago," he explained.

"I haven't seen her since before dinner," Andy said. "You can come in and I'll check my room."

"Thanks," Luke said and the three of them walked up the stairs to their hall. Andy opened her door, but only saw Traci sitting at her desk.

"Where's Gail?" Andy asked and Traci checked her watch.

"She left to get more index cards," she told them. "She should be back any minute."

"I'll wait for her outside," Luke said once Andy closed the door again. She smiled tightly and nodded while Dov opened his door. He and Andy walked in together, but Andy was the only one that screamed.

She pushed Dov quickly out of the room and pulled the door shut behind them. "What was that?" Luke asked, turning back towards them.

"Chris," Dov said simply, stunned.

"He was naked," Andy lied. "_Alone_ and naked."

"Oh, weird," Luke said. "Have a good night, guys."

"Bye, man," Dov said, turning quickly to look at Andy—finally coming to terms with what they had just walked in on. "What the hell was that?" Dov asked as soon as Luke was down the stairs.

"That was your roommate and my roommate having sex," Andy said, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her palm. "And something that I'll never be able to unsee. I'm scarred."

Dov slowly and unsurely opened his door again. This time, Chris was standing in the middle of the room with a pair of jeans on while Gail remained covered by his sheet on his bed. "When did this start happening?" Dov asked once he and Andy were both inside. The door shut loudly behind them and Gail smiled.

"The night of the bonfire," she shrugged her bare shoulders and Andy shook her head over and over, as if she could erase the image of Gail and Chris in the middle of sex.

"We all fell asleep in our room watching _The Goonies_," Andy said and Chris shook his head.

"I didn't," he admitted. "Gail and I came over here to talk and…"

"One thing led to another," Gail finished.

"I can't believe this," Dov said. "I _can _believe it, I just can't believe I had to see it."

"You could have knocked," Gail reminded him and Dov's stare turned dark.

"It's my room!" He argued and then turned to Chris. "Hang a sock on the door or something."

"I'm going back to my room," Andy said spotting her notes on Dov's desk. "I'll just take these and wash my eyes out with soap when I'm done studying. Gail, you should call Luke and cancel your _date_"

"Oh, right. Whoops," Gail cringed and Andy just dragged Dov out of his room and into hers.

"I heard screaming," Traci said, looking up from her book. "What happened?"

"You don't want to know," Dov said, falling back on to Traci's bed.

When Traci looked at Andy, she just shook her head and sat at her desk. She tried to jump back into studying, but what Sam had said to her really stuck with her. She needed to relax—she'd been in classes all day and studying all evening. It was Friday night and her first test wasn't until Tuesday. It was time for her to enjoy her weekend, not study so hard that she'd forget everything she'd ever learned.

"We should go out," Andy said and Traci and Dov both looked at her like she was crazy. "What? What's going to happen if we take a couple of hours off to get some drinks?"

"Andy, we can't," Traci said, spinning in her desk chair. "We have midterms next week. I already bailed on the Penny with Jerry to study."

"So call him and tell him we'll meet him out," Andy insisted. "I'm sick of reading and taking notes. I'm sick of bio and English and criminal justice and sociology. I want a stiff drink and I want you guys to come with me."

"Come where?" Gail asked when she and Chris joined them.

"Drinks at the Penny," Dov said, not quite able to look either of them in the eye.

"Let's go," Chris said, gently putting his arm around Gail's waist. It was enough for Traci to notice and ask what was going on. Which was enough to convince her she needed to get a drink with the rest of them.

So, they walked quickly through the chilled night to get to the Penny. Since it was the weekend before midterms, it was a little quieter than usual, so they were able to spot Jerry, Oliver, and Zoe immediately.

"Trace! Hey," Jerry said, walking to her and embracing her in a hug. "I thought you were studying."

"I needed a break," she smiled and then she kissed him on the cheek. "So, that's Zoe?"

"Yeah," Jerry nodded. "You guys haven't met her?"

"Nope," Andy said. "Introduce us?"

"Come on," he said, nodding toward her and Oliver. "Zoe, this is my girlfriend Traci and her friends, Andy, Gail, Chris and Dov."

They all greeted her kindly and while Chris and Dov ordered drinks, Andy noticed someone was missing. "Sam's not coming out?" She asked and Oliver's smile fell slowly from his face. Jerry looked pained when he finally answered her.

"He's out on a… date."

"Oh," she said, deflating against a barstool. When Chris handed her a drink, she smiled quickly and unconvincingly.

"It was a setup," Oliver told her gently.

"With my best friend," Zoe chimed in and Andy slowly raked her eyes from the floor to her face. "I think they'll be good together."

"Well, you know Sam," Jerry reminded her. "He's doing this because you asked him to, not because he's interested in her."

"He doesn't know her," Oliver agreed.

"Yeah, but Ollie, don't you think they're a good match?" Zoe asked and Andy looked at him, awaiting his answer.

"I told you it wasn't a good idea from the beginning, dear," he reminded her, looking quickly at Andy. "But he knows it's important to you, so he'd giving it a shot. That's all I think."

Zoe brushed him off and kissed him on the cheek before launching into a conversation with a girl next to her. Andy hadn't realized they were with anyone else, but now she was kind of happy Zoe wasn't going on and on about the girl Sam was on a date with.

"It means nothing," Traci said quietly and Andy nodded.

She was hoping Oliver and Jerry were right, that he was doing it because he's a good guy and a good friend. She remembered hearing that Zoe didn't actually think that highly of him and that it was important to Oliver for them to be better friends. It would make sense that he was on that date in order to do just that. At least, that's what Andy was going to keep telling herself.


End file.
